離婁下 Book IV, Part II: Li Lau - compiling from 2nd May 2008
[8.1]
孟子曰：「舜生於諸馮，遷於負夏，卒於鳴條東夷之人也;。
「文王生於岐周，卒於畢郢，西夷之人也。
「地之相去也，千有餘里世之相後也，千有餘歲：得志行乎中國，若合符節;。
「先聖後聖，其揆一也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Shun was born in Chû-fang, removed to Fû-hsiâ, and died in Ming-t'iâo;-- a man near the wild tribes on the east.
2. 'King Wan was born in Châu by mount Ch'î, and died in Pî-ying;-- a man near the wild tribes on the west.
3. 'Those regions were distant from one another more than a thousand lî, and the age of the one sage was posterior to that of the other more than a thousand years. But when they got their wish, and carried their principles into practice throughout the Middle Kingdom, it was like uniting the two halves of a seal.
4. 'When we examine those sages, both the earlier and the later, their principles are found to be the same.'
[8.2]
子產聽鄭國之政以其乘輿濟人於溱;、洧。
孟子曰：「惠而不知爲政。
歲十一月徒杠成，十二月輿梁成，民未病涉也。
「君子平其政行辟人可也，焉得人人而濟之;。
「故爲政者，每人而悅之，日亦不足矣。」
1. When Tsze-ch'an was chief minister of the State of Chang, he would convey people across the Chan and Wei in his own carriage.
2. Mencius said, 'It was kind, but showed that he did not understand the practice of government.
3. 'When in the eleventh month of the year the foot-bridges are completed, and the carriage-bridges in the twelfth month, the people have not the trouble of wading.
4. 'Let a governor conduct his rule on principles of equal justice, and, when he goes abroad, he may cause people to be removed out of his path. But how can he convey everybody across the rivers?
5. 'It follows that if a governor will try to please everybody, he will find the days not sufficient for his work.'
[8.3]
孟子吿齊宣王曰：「君之視臣如手足，則臣視君如腹心君之視臣如犬馬，則臣視;君如國人君之視臣如土芥，則臣視君如寇讎;。」
王曰：「禮爲舊君有腹，何如斯可爲服矣？」
曰：「諌行言聽，膏澤下於民有故而去，則君使人導之出疆，又先於其所;往去三年不反，然後收其田里：此之位三有禮焉如此則爲之服矣;;。
「今也爲臣，諌則不行，言則不聽，膏澤不下於民有故而去，則君搏執之，;又極之於其所往去之日，遂收其田里：此之謂寇讎，寇讎何服之有！;」
1. Mencius said to the king Hsüan of Ch'î, 'When the prince regards his ministers as his hands and feet, his ministers regard their prince as their belly and heart; when he regards them as his dogs and horses, they regard him as another man; when he regards them as the ground or as grass, they regard him as a robber and an enemy.'
2. The king said, 'According to the rules of propriety, a minister wears mourning when he has left the service of a prince. How must a prince behave that his old ministers may thus go into mourning?'
3. Mencius replied,'The admonitions of a minister having been followed, and his advice listened to, so that blessings have descended on the people, if for some cause he leaves the country, the prince sends an escort to conduct him beyond the boundaries. He also anticipates with recommendatory intimations his arrival in the country to which he is proceeding. When he has been gone three years and does not return, only then at length does he take back his fields and residence. This treatment is what is called a "thrice-repeated display of consideration." When a prince acts thus, mourning will be worn on leaving his service.
4. 'Now-a-days, the remonstrances of a minister are not followed, and his advice is not listened to, so that no blessings descend on the people. When for any cause he leaves the country, the prince tries to seize him and hold him a prisoner. He also pushes him to extremity in the country to which he has gone, and on the very day of his departure, takes back his fields and residence. This treatment shows him to be what we call "a robber and an enemy." What mourning can be worn for a robber and an enemy?'
[8.4]
孟子曰：「無罪而殺士，則大夫可以去無罪而戮民，則士可以徒;。」
Mencius said, 'When scholars are put to death without any crime, the great officers may leave the country. When the people are slaughtered without any crime, the scholars may remove.'
[8.5]
孟子曰：「君仁莫不仁，君義莫不義。」
Mencius said, 'If the sovereign be benevolent, all will be benevolent. If the sovereign be righteous, all will be righteous.'
[8.6]
孟子曰：「非禮之禮，非義之義：大人弗爲。」
Mencius said, 'Acts of propriety which are not really proper, and acts of righteousness which are not really righteous, the great man does not do.'
[8.7]
孟子曰：「中也養不中，才也養不才：故人樂有賢父兄也。如中也棄不中，才也棄不才則賢不肖之相去，其間不能以寸;。」
Mencius said, 'Those who keep the Mean, train up those who do not, and those who have abilities, train up those who have not, and hence men rejoice in having fathers and elder brothers who are possessed of virtue and talent. If they who keep the Mean spurn those who do not, and they who have abilities spurn those who have not, then the space between them-- those so gifted and the ungifted-- will not admit an inch.'
[8.8]
孟子曰：「人有不爲也，而後可以有爲。」
Mencius said, 'Men must be decided on what they will NOT do, and then they are able to act with vigour in what they ought to do.'
[8.9]
孟子曰：「言人之不善，當如後患何！」
Mencius said, 'What future misery have they and ought they to endure, who talk of what is not good in others!'
[8.10]
孟子曰：「仲尼不爲已甚者。」
Mencius said, 'Chung-nî did not do extraordinary things.'
[8.11]
孟子曰：「大人者，言不必信，行不必果惟義所在;。」
Mencius said,'The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute;-- he simply speaks and does what is right.'
[8.12]
孟子曰：「大人者，不先其赤子之心者也。」
Mencius said, 'The great man is he who does not lose his child's-heart.'
[8.13]
孟子曰：「養生者不足以當大事，惟送死可以當大事。」
Mencius said, 'The nourishment of parents when living is not sufficient to be accounted the great thing. It is only in the performing their obsequies when dead that we have what can be considered the great thing.'
[8.14]
孟子曰：「君子深造之以道，欲其自得之也自得之，則居之安居之安，則資之;;深：資之深，則取之左右逢其原故君子欲其自得之也;。」
Mencius said, 'The superior man makes his advances in what he is learning with deep earnestness and by the proper course, wishing to get hold of it as in himself. Having got hold of it in himself, he abides in it calmly and firmly. Abiding in it calmly and firmly, he reposes a deep reliance on it. Reposing a deep reliance on it, he seizes it on the left and right, meeting everywhere with it as a fountain from which things flow. It is on this account that the superior man wishes to get hold of what he is learning as in himself.'
[8.15]
孟子曰：「博學而詳說之，將以反說約也。」
Mencius said, 'In learning extensively and discussing minutely what is learned, the object of the superior man is that he may be able to go back and set forth in brief what is essential.'
[8.16]
孟子曰：「以善服人者，未有能服人者也。以善養人，然後能服天下，天下不心服而王者，未之有也。」
Mencius said, 'Never has he who would by his excellence subdue men been able to subdue them. Let a prince seek by his excellence to nourish men, and he will be able to subdue the whole kingdom. It is impossible that any one should become ruler of the people to whom they have not yielded the subjection of the heart.'
[8.17]
孟子曰：「言無實不祥不祥之實，蔽賢者當之;。」
Mencius said, 'Words which are not true are inauspicious, and the words which are most truly obnoxious to the name of inauspicious, are those which throw into the shade men of talents and virtue.'
[8.18]
徐子曰：「仲尼亟稱於水曰：『水哉水哉，』何取於水也？」
孟子曰：「原泉混混，不舍晝夜盈科而後進，放乎四海：有本者如是，是之取爾;。
「茍爲無本七八月之間雨集，溝澮皆盈;—其涸也，可立而待也！故聲聞過情，君子恥之。」
1. The disciple Hsü said, 'Chung-nî often praised water, saying, "0 water! 0 water!" What did he find in water to praise?'
2. Mencius replied, 'There is a spring of water; how it gushes out! It rests not day nor night. It fills up every hole, and then advances, flowing onto the four seas. Such is water having a spring! It was this which he found in it to praise.
3. 'But suppose that the water has no spring.-- In the seventh and eighth when the rain falls abundantly, the channels in the fields are all filled, but their being dried up again may be expected in a short time. So a superior man is ashamed of a reputation beyond his merits.'
[8.19]
孟子曰：「人之所以異於禽獸者幾希庶民去之，君子傳之;。
「舜明於庶物，察於人倫，由仁義行，非行仁義也。」
1. Mencius said, 'That whereby man differs from the lower animals is but small. The mass of people cast it away, while superior men preserve it.
2. 'Shun clearly understood the multitude of things, and closely observed the relations of humanity. He walked along the path of benevolence and righteousness; he did not need to pursue benevolence and righteousness.'
[8.20]
孟子曰：「禹惡旨酒，而好善言。湯執中，立賢無方。文王視民如傷，望道而未之見。武王不泄邇，不忘遠。周公思兼三王以施四事其有不合者，仰而思之，夜以;繼日幸而得之，坐以待旦;。」
1. Mencius said, 'Yü hated the pleasant wine, and loved good words.
2. 'T'ang held fast the Mean, and employed men of talents and virtue without regard to where they came from.
3. 'King Wan looked on the people as he would on a man who was wounded, and he looked towards the right path as if he could not see it.
4. King Wû did not slight the near, and did not forget the distant.
5. 'The duke of Châu desired to unite in himself the virtues of those kings, those founders of the three dynasties, that he might display in his practice the four things which they did. If he saw any thing in them not suited to his time, he looked up and thought about it, from daytime into the night, and when he was fortunate enough to master the difficulty, he sat waiting for the morning.'
[8.21]
孟子曰：「王者之迹熄而詩亡，詩亡，然後春秋作。晉之乘，楚之檮杌，魯之春秋，一也。其事則齊桓、晉文，其文則史。孔子曰：『其義則丘竊取之矣。』」
1. Mencius said, 'The traces of sovereign rule were extinguished, and the royal odes ceased to be made. When those odes ceased to be made, then the Ch'un Ch'iû was produced.
2. 'The Shang of Tsin, the Tâo-wû of Ch'û, and the Ch'un Ch'iû of Lû were books of the same character.
3. 'The subject of the Ch'un Ch'iû was the affairs of Hwan of Chî and Wan of Tsin, and its style was the historical. Confucius said, "Its righteous decisions I ventured to make."'
[8.22]
孟子曰：「君子之澤，五世而斬小人之澤，五世而斬;。豫未得爲孔子徒也，豫私淑諸人也。」
1. Mencius said, 'The influence of a sovereign sage terminates in the fifth generation. The influence of a mere sage does the same.
2. 'Although I could not be a disciple of Confucius himself, I have endeavoured to cultivate my virtue by means of others who were.'
[8.23]
孟子曰：「可以取，可以無取取傷廉;。可以與，可以無與與傷惠;。可以死，可以無死死傷勇;。」
Mencius said, 'When it appears proper to take a thing, and afterwards not proper, to take it is contrary to moderation. When it appears proper to give a thing and afterwards not proper, to give it is contrary to kindness. When it appears proper to sacrifice one's life, and afterwards not proper, to sacrifice it is contrary to bravery.'
[8.24]
逢蒙學射於羿，盡羿之道思天下惟羿爲愈己，於是殺羿;。孟子曰：「是亦羿有罪焉。公明儀曰：『宜若無罪焉。』曰：薄乎云爾，惡得無罪！
「鄭人使子濯孺子侵衛，衛使庾公之斯追之。子濯孺子曰：『今日我疾作，不可以執弓，吾死矣夫！』問其僕曰：『追我者誰 也？』其僕曰：『庾公之斯也。』曰：『吾生矣！』其僕曰：『庾公之斯，衛之善射者也。夫子曰：「吾生。」何謂也？』曰：『庾公之斯學射於尹公之他，尹公之 他學射於我。夫尹公之他，端人也，其取友必端矣。』庾公之斯至，曰：『夫子何爲不執弓？』曰：『今日我疾作，不可以執弓。』曰：『小人學射於尹公之他，尹 公之他學射於夫子。我不忍以夫子之道，反害夫子。雖然，今日之事，君事也，我不敢廢。』抽矢扣輪，去其金，發乘矢而後反。」
1. P'ang Mang learned archery of Î. When he had acquired completely all the science of Î, he thought that in all the kingdom only Î was superior to himself, and so he slew him. Mencius said, 'In this case Î also was to blame. Kung-ming Î indeed said, "It would appear as if he were not to be blamed," but he thereby only meant that his blame was slight. How can he be held without any blame?'
2. 'The people of Chang sent Tsze-cho Yü to make a stealthy attack on Wei, which sent Yü-kung Sze to pursue him. Tsze-cho Yü said, "To-day I feel unwell, so that I cannot hold my bow. I am a dead man!" At the same time he asked his driver, "Who is it that is pursuing me?" The driver said, "It is Yü-kung Sze," on which, he exclaimed, "I shall live." The driver said, "Yü-kung Sze is the best archer of Wei, what do you mean by saying 'I shall live?'" Yü replied, "Yü-kung Sze learned archery from Yin-kung T'o, who again learned it from me. Now, Yin-kung T'o is an upright man, and the friends of his selection must be upright also." When Yü-kung Sze came up, he said, "Master, why are you not holding your bow?" Yü answered him, "To-day I am feeling unwell, and cannot hold my bow." On this Sze said, "I learned archery from Yin-kung T'o, who again learned it from you. I cannot bear to injure you with your own science. The business of to-day, however, is the prince's business, which I dare not neglect." He then took his arrows, knocked off their steel points against the carriage-wheel, discharged four of them, and returned.
[8.25]
孟子曰：「西子蒙不潔，則人皆掩鼻而過之。
「雖有惡人，齊戒沐浴，則可以祀上帝。」
1. Mencius said, 'If the lady Hsî had been covered with a filthy head-dress, all people would have stopped their noses in passing her.
2. 'Though a man may be wicked, yet if he adjust his thoughts, fast, and bathe, he may sacrifice to God.'
[8.26]
孟子曰：「天下之言性也，則故而已矣故者，以利爲本;。
「所惡於智者，爲其鑿也。如智者若禹之行水也，則無惡於智矣，禹之行水也，行其所無事也。如智者亦行其所無事，則智亦大矣。
「天之高也，星辰之遠也，茍求其故，千歲之日至，可坐而致也。」
1. Mencius said, 'All who speak about the natures of things, have in fact only their phenomena to reason from, and the value of a phenomenon is in its being natural.
2. 'What I dislike in your wise men is their boring out their conclusions. If those wise men would only act as Yü did when he conveyed away the waters, there would be nothing to dislike in their wisdom. The manner in which Yü conveyed away the waters was by doing what gave him no trouble. If your wise men would also do that which gave them no trouble, their knowledge would also be great.
3. 'There is heaven so high; there are the stars so distant. If we have investigated their phenomena, we may, while sitting in our places, go back to the solstice of a thousand years ago.'
[8.27]
公行子有子之喪，右師往弔。入門，有進而與右師言者，有就右師之位而與右師言者。
孟子不與右師言。右師不悅，曰：「諸君子皆與驩言，孟子獨不與驩言，是簡驩也。」
孟子聞之，曰：「禮，朝廷不歷位而相與言，不踰階而相揖也。我欲行禮，子敖以我爲簡，不亦異乎！」
1. The officer Kung-hang having on hand the funeral of one of his sons, the Master of the Right went to condole with him. When this noble entered the door, some called him to them and spoke with him, and some went to his place and spoke with him.
2. Mencius did not speak with him, so that he was displeased, and said, 'All the gentlemen have spoken with me. There is only Mencius who does not speak to me, thereby slighting me.'
3. Mencius having heard of this remark, said, 'According to the prescribed rules, in the court, individuals may not change their places to speak with one another, nor may they pass from their ranks to bow to one another. I was wishing to observe this rule, and Tsze-âo understands it that I was slighting him:-- is not this strange?'
[8.28]
孟子曰：「君子所以異於人者，以其存心也。君子以仁存心，以禮存心。仁者愛人，有禮者敬人。愛人者，人恆愛之敬人，人 恆敬之;。有人於此，其待我以橫逆則君子必自反也：我必不仁也，必無禮也此物奚宜至哉！其自反而仁矣，自反而;有禮矣，其橫逆由是也君子必自反也：我必不 忠;。自反而忠矣，其橫逆由是也;君子曰：『此亦妄人也已矣！如此則與禽獸奚擇哉！於禽獸又何難焉！』 是故，君子有終身之憂，無一朝之患也。乃若所憂則有之。舜、人也，我亦人也舜爲法;於天下可傳於後世，我由未免爲鄉人也：是則可憂也。憂之如何？如舜而已 矣！若夫君子所患，則亡矣。非仁無爲也，非禮無行也。如有一朝之患。則君子不患矣。」
1. Mencius said, 'That whereby the superior man is distinguished from other men is what he preserves in his heart;-- namely, benevolence and propriety.
2. 'The benevolent man loves others. The man of propriety shows respect to others.
3. 'He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.
4. 'Here is a man, who treats me in a perverse and unreasonable manner. The superior man in such a case will turn round upon himself-- "I must have been wanting in benevolence; I must have been wanting in propriety;-- how should this have happened to me?"
5. He examines himself, and is specially benevolent. He turns round upon himself, and is specially observant of propriety. The perversity and unreasonableness of the other, however, are still the same. The superior man will again turn round on himself-- "I must have been failing to do my utmost."
6. 'He turns round upon himself, and proceeds to do his utmost, but still the perversity and unreasonableness of the other are repeated. On this the superior man says, "This is a man utterly lost indeed! Since he conducts himself so, what is there to choose between him and a brute? Why should I go to contend with a brute?"
7. 'Thus it is that the superior man has a life-long anxiety and not one morning's calamity. As to what is matter of anxiety to him, that indeed be has.-- He says, "Shun was a man, and I also am a man. But Shun became an example to all the kingdom, and his conduct was worthy to be handed down to after ages, while I am nothing better than a villager." This indeed is the proper matter of anxiety to him. And in what way is he anxious about it? Just that he maybe like Shun:-- then only will he stop. As to what the superior man would feel to be a calamity, there is no such thing. He does nothing which is not according to propriety. If there should befall him one morning's calamity, the superior man does not account it a calamity.'
[8.29]
禹、稷當平世，三過其門而不入：孔子賢之。
顏子當亂世，居於陋巷，一簞食，一瓢飮人不堪其憂，顏子不改樂：孔子賢之;。
孟子曰：「禹、稷、顏回同道。禹思天下有溺者，由己溺之也稷思天下有飢者，;由己飢之也是以如是其急也;。禹、稷、顏子，易地則皆然。今有同室之人鬬者，救之，雖被髮纓冠而救之，可也。鄉鄰有鬬者，被髮纓冠而往救之，則惑也，雖閉戶可也。」
1. Yü and Chî, in an age when the world was being brought back to order, thrice passed their doors without entering them. Confucius praised them.
2. The disciple Yen, in an age of disorder, dwelt in a mean narrow lane, having his single bamboo-cup of rice, and his single gourd-dish of water; other men could not have endured the distress, but he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. Confucius praised him.
3. Mencius said, 'Yü, Chî, and Yen Hûi agreed in the principle of their conduct.
4. 'Yü thought that if any one in the kingdom were drowned, it was as if he drowned him. Chî thought that if any one in the kingdom suffered hunger, it was as if he famished him. It was on this account that they were so earnest.
5. If Yü and Chî, and Yen-tsze, had exchanged places, each would have done what the other did.
6. 'Here now in the same apartment with you are people fighting:-- you ought to part them. Though you part them with your cap simply tied over your unbound hair, your conduct will be allowable.
7. 'If the fighting be only in the village or neighbourhood, if you go to put an end to it with your cap tied over your hair unbound, you will be in error. Although you should shut your door in such a case, your conduct would be allowable.'
[8.30]
公都子曰：「匡章，通國皆稱不孝焉夫子與之遊，又從而禮貌之：敢問何也？;」
孟子曰：「世俗所謂不孝者五：惰其四支，不顧父母之養，一不孝也博弈好飮;酒，不顧父母之養，二不孝也好貨財，私妻 子，不顧父母之養，三不孝也;。從耳目之欲，以爲父母戮，四不孝也好勇鬥狠，以危父母，五不孝也;。章子有一於是乎？夫章子，子父靑善而不相遇也。靑善， 朋友之道也父子靑善，賊恩之大者;。夫章子，豈不欲有夫妻子母之屬哉！爲得罪於父，不得近出妻屏子，終身不養;焉。其設心，以爲不若是，是則罪之大者。是 則章子已矣！」
1. The disciple Kung-tû said, 'Throughout the whole kingdom everybody pronounces K'wang Chang unfilial. But you, Master, keep company with him, and moreover treat him with politeness. I venture to ask why you do so.'
2. Mencius replied, 'There are five things which are pronounced in the common usage of the age to be unfilial. The first is laziness in the use of one's four limbs, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The second is gambling and chess-playiDg, and being fond of wine, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The third is being fond of goods and money, and selfishly attached to his wife and children, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The fourth is following the desires of one's ears and eyes, so as to bring his parents to disgrace. The fifth is being fond of bravery, fighting and quarrelling so as to endanger his parents. Is Chang guilty of any one of these things?
3. 'Now between Chang and his father there arose disagreement, he, the son, reproving his father, to urge him to what was good.
4. 'To urge one another to what is good by reproofs is the way of friends. But such urging between father and son is the greatest injury to the kindness, which should prevail between them.
5. 'Moreover, did not Chang wish to have in his family the relationships of husband and wife, child and mother? But because he had offended his father, and was not permitted to approach him, he sent away his wife, and drove forth his son, and all his life receives no cherishing attention from them. He settled it in his mind that if he did not act in this way, his would be one of the greatest of crimes.-- Such and nothing more is the case of Chang.'
[8.31]
曾子居武城，有越寇。或曰：「寇至，盍去諸？」曰：「無寓人於我室，毀傷其薪木。」寇退，則曰：「修我牆屋，我將 反。」寇退，曾子反。左右曰：「待先生如此其忠且敬也！寇至則先去以爲民望，寇退則反：殆於不可！」沈猶行曰：「是非汝所知也！昔沈猶有負芻之禍，從先生 者七十人，未有與焉。」
子思居於衛，有齊寇。或曰：「寇至，盍去諸？」子思曰：「如伋去，君誰與守。」
孟子曰：「曾子、子思同道。曾子，師也，父兄也子思，臣也，微也;。曾子、子思，易地則皆然。」
1. When the philosopher Tsang dwelt in Wû-ch'ang, there came a band from Yüeh to plunder it. Someone said to him, 'The plunderers are coming:-- why not leave this?' Tsang on this left the city, saying to the man in charge of the house, 'Do not lodge any persons in my house, lest they break and injure the plants and trees.' When the plunderers withdrew, he sent word to him, saying, 'Repair the walls of my house. I am about to return.' When the plunderers retired, the philosopher Tsang returned accordingly. His disciples said, 'Since our master was treated with so much sincerity and respect, for him to be the first to go away on the arrival of the plunderers, so as to be observed by the people, and then to return on their retiring, appears to us to be improper.' Ch'an-yû Hsing said, 'You do not understand this matter. Formerly, when Ch'an-yû was exposed to the outbreak of the grass-carriers, there were seventy disciples in our master's following, and none of them took part in the matter.'
2. When Tsze-sze was living in Wei, there came a band from Ch'î to plunder. Some one said to him, 'The plunderers are coming;-- why not leave this?' Tsze-sze said, 'If I go away, whom will the prince have to guard the State with?'
3. Mencius said, 'The philosophers Tsang and Tsze-sze agreed in the principle of their conduct. Tsang was a teacher;-- in the place of a father or elder brother. Tsze-sze was a minister;-- in a meaner place. If the philosophers Tsang and Tsze-sze had exchanged places the one would have done what the other did.'
[8.32]
儲子曰：「王使人瞷夫子，果有以異於人乎？」孟子曰：「何以異於人哉？堯舜與人同耳。」
The officer Ch'û said to Mencius, 'Master, the king sent persons to spy out whether you were really different from other men.' Mencius said, 'How should I be different from other men? Yâo and Shun were just the same as other men.'
[8.33]
「齊人有一妻一妾而處室者。其良人出，則必饜酒肉而後反。其妻問所與飮食者，則盡富貴也。其妻吿其妾曰：『良人出，則 必饜酒肉而後反，問其與飮食者，盡富貴也。而未嘗有顯者來。吾將瞷良人之所之也。』蚤起，施從良人之所之，遍國中無與立談者，卒之東郭墦間之祭者，乞其 餘，不足，又顧而之他：此其爲饜足之道也。其妻歸，吿其妾曰：『良人者，所仰望而終身也。今若此！』與其妾訕其良人，而相泣於中庭。而良人未之知也，施施 從外來，驕其妻妾。由君子觀之，則人之所以求富貴利達者，其妻妾不羞也而不相泣者，幾希矣！」
1. A man of Ch'î had a wife and a concubine, and lived together with them in his house. When their husband went out, he would get himself well filled with wine and flesh, and then return, and, on his wife's asking him with whom he ate and drank, they were sure to be all wealthy and honourable people. The wife informed the concubine, saying, 'When our good man goes out, he is sure to come back having partaken plentifully of wine and flesh. I asked with whom he ate and drank, and they are all, it seems, wealthy and honourable people. And yet no people of distinction ever come here. I will spy out where our good man goes.' Accordingly, she got up early in the morning, and privately followed wherever her husband went. Throughout the whole city, there was no one who stood or talked with him. At last, he came to those who were sacrificing among the tombs beyond the outer wall on the east, and begged what they had over. Not being satisfied, he looked about, and went to another party;-- and this was the way in which he got himself satiated. His wife returned, and informed the concubine, saying, 'It was to our husband that we looked up in hopeful contemplation, with whom our lot is cast for life;-- and now these are his ways!' On this, along with the concubine she reviled their husband, and they wept together in the middle hall. In the meantime the husband, knowing nothing of all this, came in with a jaunty air, carrying himself proudly to his wife and concubine.
2. In the view of a superior man, as to the ways by which men seek for riches, honours, gain, and advancement, there are few of their wives and concubines who would not be ashamed and weep together on account of them.
萬章上 Book V, Part I: Wan Chang
[9.1]
萬章問曰：「舜往于田，號泣旻天。何爲其號也？」孟子曰：「怨慕也。」
萬章曰：「父母愛之，喜而不忘父母惡之，勞而不怨;。然則舜怨乎？」曰：「長息問於公明高曰：『舜往于田，則吾旣得聞 命矣。號泣于旻天于父母，則吾不知也。』公明高曰：『是非爾所之也。』夫公明高以孝子之心爲不若是恝我竭力耕;田，共爲子職而已矣父母之不我愛，於我何 哉！;
「帝使其子九男二女，百官牛羊食廩備，以事舜於畎畝之中天下之士多就之者，;帝章胥天下而遷之焉爲不順於父母，如窮人無所歸;。
「天下之士悅之，人之所欲也。而不足以解憂好色，人之所欲，妻帝之二女，而;不足以解憂富，人之所欲，富有天下，而不足以解憂;。貴，人之所欲，貴爲天子，而不足以解憂。人悅之、好色、富貴，無足以解憂者惟順於父母，可以解憂;。
「人少則慕父母，知好色則慕少艾，有妻子則慕妻子，仕則慕君，不得於君則熱中。大孝終身慕父母五十而慕者，豫於大舜見之矣;。」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'When Shun went into the fields, he cried out and wept towards the pitying heavens. Why did he cry out and weep?' Mencius replied, 'He was dissatisfied, and full of earnest desire.'
2. Wan Chang said, 'When his parents love him, a son rejoices and forgets them not. When his parents hate him, though they punish him, he does not murmur. Was Shun then murmuring against his parents?' Mencius answered, 'Ch'ang Hsî asked Kung-ming Kâo, saying, "As to Shun's going into the fields, I have received your instructions, but I do not know about his weeping and crying out to the pitying heavens and to his parents." Kung-ming Kâo answered him, "You do not understand that matter." Now, Kung-ming Kâo supposed that the heart of the filial son could not be so free of sorrow. Shun would say, "I exert my strength to cultivate the fields, but I am thereby only discharging my office as a son. What can there be in me that my parents do not love me?"
3. 'The Tî caused his own children, nine sons and two daughters, the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared, to serve Shun amid the channelled fields. Of the scholars of the kingdom there were multitudes who flocked to him. The sovereign designed that Shun should superintend the kingdom along with him, and then to transfer it to him entirely. But because his parents were not in accord with him, he felt like a poor man who has nowhere to turn to.
4. 'To be delighted in by all the scholars of the kingdom, is what men desire, but it was not sufficient to remove the sorrow of Shun. The possession of beauty is what men desire, and Shun had for his wives the two daughters of the Tî, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Riches are what men desire, and the kingdom was the rich property of Shun, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Honours are what men desire, and Shun had the dignity of being sovereign, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. The reason why the being the object of men's delight, with the possession of beauty, riches, and honours were not sufficient to remove his sorrow, was that it could be removed only by his getting his parents to be in accord with him.
5. 'The desire of the child is towards his father and mother. When he becomes conscious of the attractions of beauty, his desire is towards young and beautiful women. When he comes to have a wife and children, his desire is towards them. When he obtains office, his desire is towards his sovereign:-- if he cannot get the regard of his sovereign, he burns within. But the man of great filial piety, to the end of his life, has his desire towards his parents. In the great Shun I see the case of one whose desire at fifty year's was towards them.'
[9.2]
萬章問曰：「詩云：『娶妻如之何？必吿父母。』信斯言也，宜莫如舜舜之不吿;而娶，何也？」孟子曰：「吿則不得娶，男女居室，人之大倫也。如吿，則廢人之大倫，以懟父母是以不吿也;。」
萬章曰：「舜之不吿而娶，則吾旣得聞命矣。帝之妻舜而不吿，何也？」曰：「帝亦知吿焉則不得妻也。」
萬章曰：「父母使舜完廩，捐階，瞽瞍焚廩使浚井，出，從而揜之;。象曰：『謨蓋都君，咸我續牛羊父母，食廩父母，干戈 朕，琴朕，弤朕二嫂使治朕棲;;。』象往入舜宮，舜在床琴，象曰：『鬱陶，思君爾！』忸怩舜曰：;『惟茲臣庶，汝其于豫治。』不識舜不知象之將殺己與？」 曰：「奚而不知也！象憂亦憂，象喜亦喜。」
曰：「然則舜僞喜者與？」曰：「否。昔者有饋生魚於鄭子產，子產使校人畜之池校人烹之，反命曰：;『始舍之，圉圉焉少 則洋洋焉，攸然而逝;。』子產曰：『得其所哉！得其所哉！』校人出，曰：『孰謂子產智，豫旣烹而食之，曰：「得其所哉！得其所哉！」』故君子可欺以其方， 難罔以非其道。彼以愛兄之道來，故誠信而喜之奚;僞焉！」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"In marrying a wife, how ought a man to proceed?
He must inform his parents."
If the rule be indeed as here expressed, no man ought to have illustrated it so well as Shun. How was it that Shun's marriage took place without his informing his parents?' Mencius replied, 'If he had informed them, he would not have been able to marry. That male and female should dwell together, is the greatest of human relations. If Shun had informed his parents, he must have made void this greatest of human relations, thereby incurring their resentment. On this account, he did not inform them!
2. Wan Chang said, 'As to Shun's marrying without informing his parents, I have heard your instructions; but how was it that the Tî Yâo gave him his daughters as wives without informing Shun's parents?' Mencius said, 'The Tî also knew that if he informed them, he could not marry his daughters to him.'
3. Wan Chang said, 'His parents set Shun to repair a granary, to which, the ladder having been removed, Kû-sâu set fire. They also made him dig a well. He got out, but they, not knowing that, proceeded to cover him up. Hsiang said, "Of the scheme to cover up the city-forming prince, the merit is all mine. Let my parents have his oxen and sheep. Let them have his storehouses and granaries. His shield and spear shall be mine. His lute shall be mine. His bow shall be mine. His two wives I shall make attend for me to my bed." Hsiang then went away into Shun's palace, and there was Shun on his couch playing on his lute. Hsiang said, "I am come simply because I was thinking anxiously about you." At the same time, he blushed deeply. Shun said to him, "There are all my officers:-- do you undertake the government of them for me." I do not know whether Shun was ignorant of Hsiang's wishing to kill him.' Mencius answered, 'How could he be ignorant of that? But when Hsiang was sorrowful, he was also sorrowful; when Hsiang was joyful, he was also joyful.'
4. Chang said, 'In that case, then, did not Shun rejoice hypocritically?' Mencius replied, 'No. Formerly, some one sent a present of a live fish to Tsze-ch'an of Chang. Tsze-ch'an ordered his pond-keeper to keep it in the pond, but that officer cooked it, and reported the execution of his commission, saying, "When I first let it go, it embarrassed. In a little while, it seemed to be somewhat at ease, then it swam away joyfully." Tsze-ch'an observed, "It had got into its element! It had got into its element!" The pond-keeper then went out and said, "Who calls Tsze-ch'an a wise man? After I had cooked and eaten the fish, he says, "It had got into its element! It had got into its element!" Thus a superior man may be imposed on by what seems to be as it ought to be, but he cannot be entrapped by what is contrary to right principle. Hsiang came in the way in which the love of his elder brother would have made him come; therefore Shun sincerely believed him, and rejoiced. What hypocrisy was there?'
[9.3]
萬章問曰：「象日以殺舜爲事，立爲天子則放之，何也？」孟子曰：「封之也。或曰放焉。」
萬章曰：「舜流共工于幽州，放驩兜于崇山，殺三苗于三危，殛鯀於羽山：四罪而天下咸服，誅不仁也。象至不仁，風之有 庳，有庳之人奚罪焉？仁人固如是乎：在他人則誅之。在弟則封之。」曰：「仁人之於弟也，不藏怒焉，不宿怨焉，親愛之而已矣。親之欲其貴也，愛之欲其富也封 之有庳，富貴之也，身爲天子，弟爲匹;夫：可謂親愛之乎？」
「敢問『或曰放』者，何謂也？」曰：「象不得有爲於其國，天子使吏治其國而納其貢稅焉。故謂之放。豈得暴彼民哉！雖然，欲常常而見之，故源源而來。『不及貢，以政接于有庳;』此之謂也。」
1. Wan Chang said, 'Hsiang made it his daily business to slay Shun. When Shun was made sovereign, how was it that he only banished him?' Mencius said, 'He raised him to be a prince. Some supposed that it was banishing him?'
2. Wan Chang said, 'Shun banished the superintendent of works to Yû-châu; he sent away Hwan-tâu to the mountain Ch'ung; he slew the prince of San-miâo in San-wei; and he imprisoned Kwân on the mountain Yü. When the crimes of those four were thus punished, the whole kingdom acquiesced:-- it was a cutting off of men who were destitute of benevolence. But Hsiang was of all men the most destitute of benevolence, and Shun raised him to be the prince of Yû-pî;-- of what crimes had the people of Yû-pî been guilty? Does a benevolent man really act thus? In the case of other men, he cut them off; in the case of his brother, he raised him to be a prince.' Mencius replied, 'A benevolent man does not lay up anger, nor cherish resentment against his brother, but only regards him with affection and love. Regarding him with affection, he wishes him to be honourable: regarding him with love, he wishes him to be rich. The appointment of Hsiang to be the prince of Yû-pî was to enrich and ennoble him. If while Shun himself was sovereign, his brother had been a common man, could he have been said to regard him with affection and love?'
3. Wan Chang said, 'I venture to ask what you mean by saying that some supposed that it was a banishing of Hsiang?' Mencius replied, 'Hsiang could do nothing in his State. The Son of Heaven appointed an officer to administer its government, and to pay over its revenues to him. This treatment of him led to its being said that he was banished. How indeed could he be allowed the means of oppressing the people? Nevertheless, Shun wished to be continually seeing him, and by this arrangement, he came incessantly to court, as is signified in that expression-- "He did not wait for the rendering of tribute, or affairs of government, to receive the prince of Yû-pî.
[9.4]
咸丘蒙問曰：「語云：『盛德之士，君不得而臣，父不得而子。舜南面而立，堯帥諸侯北面而朝之，瞽瞍亦北面而朝之舜見瞽瞍，其容有蹙;。』孔子曰：『於斯時也，天下殆哉岌岌乎！』不識此語誠然乎哉？」
孟子曰：「否。此非君子之言，齊東野人之語也。堯老而舜攝也。堯典曰：『二十有八載，放勳乃徂落百姓如喪考妣，三年，四海遏密八音;。』孔子曰：『天無二日，民無二王。』舜旣爲天子矣，又帥天下諸侯以爲堯三年哉，是二天子矣！」
咸丘蒙曰：「舜之不臣堯，則吾旣得聞命矣。詩云：『普天之下，莫非王土率土;之濱，莫非王臣。』而舜旣爲天子矣，敢問 瞽瞍之非臣如何？」曰：「是詩也，非是之謂也，勞於王事而不得養父母也。曰：『此莫非王事，我獨賢勞也。』故說詩者，不以文害辭，不以辭害志以意逆志，是 爲得之;。如以辭而已矣，雲漢之詩曰：『周餘黎民，靡有孑遺。』信斯言也，是周無遺民也。
「孝子之至，莫大乎尊親尊親之至，莫大乎以天下養;。爲天子父，尊之至也以;天下養，養之至也。詩曰：『永言孝思，孝思維則。』此之謂也。
「書曰：『祇載見瞽瞍，夔夔齊栗，瞽瞍亦允若。』是爲父不得而子也。」
1. Hsien-ch'iû Mang asked Mencius, saying, 'There is the saying, "A scholar of complete virtue may not be employed as a minister by his sovereign, nor treated as a son by his father. Shun stood with his face to the south, and Yâo, at the head of all the princes, appeared before him at court with his face to the north. Kû-sâu also did the same. When Shun saw Kû-sâu, his countenance became discomposed. Confucius said, At this time, in what a perilous condition was the kingdom! Its state was indeed unsettled."-- I do not know whether what is here said really took place.' Mencius replied, 'No. These are not the words of a superior man. They are the sayings of an uncultivated person of the east of Ch'î. When Yâo was old, Shun was associated with him in the government. It is said in the Canon of Yâo, "After twenty and eight years, the Highly Meritorious one deceased. The people acted as if they were mourning for a father or mother for three years, and up to the borders of the four seas every sound of music was hushed." Confucius said, "There are not two suns in the sky, nor two sovereigns over the people." Shun having been sovereign, and, moreover, leading on all the princes to observe the three years' mourning for Yâo, there would have been in this case two sovereigns.'
2. Hsien-ch'iû Mang said, 'On the point of Shun's not treating Yâo as a minister, I have received your instructions. But it is said in the Book of Poetry,
Under the whole heaven,
Every spot is the sovereign's ground;
To the borders of the land,
Every individual is the sovereign's minister;"
-- and Shun had become sovereign. I venture to ask how it was that Kû-sâu was not one of his ministers.' Mencius answered, 'That ode is not to be understood in that way:-- it speaks of being laboriously engaged in the sovereign's business, so as not to be able to nourish one's parents, as if the author said, "This is all the sovereign's business, and how is it that I alone am supposed to have ability, and am made to toil in it?" Therefore, those who explain the odes, may not insist on one term so as to do violence to a sentence, nor on a sentence so as to do violence to the general scope. They must try with their thoughts to meet that scope, and then we shall apprehend it. If we simply take single sentences, there is that in the ode called "The Milky Way,"--
Of the black-haired people of the remnant of Châu,
There is not half a one left."
--If it had been really as thus expressed, then not an individual of the people of Châu was left.--
3. 'Of all which a filial son can attain to, there is nothing greater than his honouring his parents. And of what can be attained to in the honouring one's parents, there is nothing greater than the nourishing them with the whole kingdom. Kû-sâu was the father of the sovereign;-- this was the height of honour. Shun nourished him with the whole kingdom;-- this was the height of nourishing. In this was verified the sentiment in the Book of Poetry,
"Ever cherishing filial thoughts,
Those filial thoughts became an example to after ages."
4. 'It is said in the Book of History, "Reverently performing his duties, he waited on Kû-sâu, and was full of veneration and awe. Kû-sâu also believed him and conformed to virtue."-- This is the true case of the scholar of complete virtue not being treated as a son by his father.'
[9.5]
萬章曰：「堯以天下與舜，有諸？」孟子曰：「否。天子不能以天下與人。」
「然則舜有天下也，孰與之？」曰：「天與之。」
「天與之者，諄諄然命之乎？」
曰：「否。天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。」
曰：「以行與事示之者，如之何？」曰：「天子能薦人於天，不能使天與之天下，諸侯能薦人於天子，不能使天子與之諸侯大夫能薦人於諸侯，不能使諸侯與之大;夫。昔者堯薦舜於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之。故曰：『天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。』」
曰：「敢問：『薦之於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之，』如何？」曰：「使之主祭而百神享之，是天受之，使之主事而事治，百姓安之，是民受之也。天與之，人與之。故曰：『天子不能以天下與人。』
「舜相堯二十有八載，非人之所能爲也，天也。堯崩，三年之喪畢，舜避堯之子於南河之南。天子諸侯朝覲者，不之堯之子而之舜，訟獄者，不之堯之子而之舜謳;歌者，不謳歌堯之子而謳歌舜。故曰：『天也。』夫然後，之中國踐天子位焉。而居堯之宮，逼堯之子：是篡也，非天與也。
「泰誓曰：『天視自我民視，天聽自我民聽。』此之謂也。」
1. Wan Chang said, 'Was it the case that Yâo gave the throne to Shun?' Mencius said, 'No. The sovereign cannot give the throne to another.'
2. 'Yes;-- but Shun had the throne. Who gave it to him?' 'Heaven gave it to him,' was the answer.
3. '" Heaven gave it to him:"-- did Heaven confer its appointment on him with specific injunctions?'
4. Mencius replied, 'No. Heaven does not speak. It simply showed its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs.'
5. '"It showed its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs:"-- how was this?' Mencius's answer was, 'The sovereign can present a man to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give that man the throne. A prince can present a man to the sovereign, but he cannot cause the sovereign to make that man a prince. A great officer can present a man to his prince, but he cannot cause the prince to make that man a great officer. Yâo presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He presented him to the people, and the people accepted him. Therefore I say, "Heaven does not speak. It simply indicated its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs."'
6. Chang said, 'I presume to ask how it was that Yâo presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him; and that he exhibited him to the people, and the people accepted him.' Mencius replied, 'He caused him to preside over the sacrifices, and all the spirits were well pleased with them;-- thus Heaven accepted him. He caused him to preside over the conduct of affairs, and affairs were well administered, so that the people reposed under him;-- thus the people accepted him. Heaven gave the throne to him. The people gave it to him. Therefore I said, "The sovereign cannot give the throne to another."
7. 'Shun assisted Yâo in the government for twenty and eight years;-- this was more than man could have done, and was from Heaven. After the death of Yâo, when the three years' mourning was completed, Shun withdrew from the son of Yâo to the south of South river. The princes of the kingdom, however, repairing to court, went not to the son of Yâo, but they went to Shun. Litigants went not to the son of Yâo, but they went to Shun. Singers sang not the son of Yâo, but they sang Shun. Therefore I said, "Heaven gave him the throne." It was after these things that he went to the Middle Kingdom, and occupied the seat of the Son of Heaven. If he had, before these things, taken up his residence in the palace of Yâo, and had applied pressure to the son of Yâo, it would have been an act of usurpation, and not the gift of Heaven.
8. 'This sentiment is expressed in the words of The Great Declaration,-- "Heaven sees according as my people see; Heaven hears according as my people hear."'
[9.6]
萬章問曰：「人有言：至於禹而德衰，不傳於賢而傳於子：有諸？」孟子曰：「否，不然也。天與賢，則與賢天與子，則與 子;。昔者舜薦禹於天，十有七年;舜崩，三年之喪畢，禹避舜之子於陽城天下之民從之，若堯崩之後不從堯之子而;從舜也。禹薦益於天。七年禹崩，三年之喪 畢，益避禹之子於箕山之陰;。朝覲訟獄者，不之益而之啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』謳歌者，不謳歌益而謳歌啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』
「丹朱之不肖，舜之子亦不肖舜之相堯，禹之相舜也，歷年多，施澤於民久;。啟賢，能敬承繼禹之道益之相禹也，歷年少，施澤於民未久;。舜、禹、益相去久遠，其子之賢不肖，皆天也，非人之所能爲也，莫之爲而爲者，天也莫之致而至;者，命也。
「匹夫而有天下者，德必若舜、禹，而又有天子薦之者。故仲尼不有天下。
「繼世以有天下，天之所廢，必若桀、紂者也。故益、伊尹、周公不有天下。
「伊尹相湯以王於天下，湯崩，太丁未立，外內二年，仲壬四年太甲顚覆湯之典;刑，伊尹放之於桐三年，太甲悔過，自怨自艾，於桐處仁遷義三年，以聽伊尹之;訓己也，復歸于亳。
「周公之不有天下，猶益之於夏，伊尹之於殷也。
「孔子曰：『唐、虞禪，夏后、殷、周繼：其義一也。』」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'People say, "When the disposal of the kingdom came to Yü, his virtue was inferior to that of Yâo and Shun, and he transmitted it not to the worthiest but to his son." Was it so?' Mencius replied, 'No; it was not so. When Heaven gave the kingdom to the worthiest, it was given to the worthiest. When Heaven gave it to the son of the preceding sovereign, it was given to him. Shun presented Yü to Heaven. Seventeen years elapsed, and Shun died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yü withdrew from the son of Shun to Yang-ch'ang. The people of the kingdom followed him just as after the death of Yâo, instead of following his son, they had followed Shun. Yü presented Yî to Heaven. Seven years elapsed, and Yü died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yî withdrew from the son of Yü to the north of mount Ch'î. The princes, repairing to court, went not to Yî, but they went to Ch'î. Litigants did not go to Yî, but they went to Ch'î, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign;" the singers did not sing Yî, but they sang Ch'î, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign."
2. 'That Tan-chû was not equal to his father, and Shun's son not equal to his; that Shun assisted Yâo, and Yü assisted Shun, for many years, conferring benefits on the people for a long time; that thus the length of time during which Shun, Yü, and Yî assisted in the government was so different; that Ch'î was able, as a man of talents and virtue, reverently to pursue the same course as Yü; that Yî assisted Yü only for a few years, and had not long conferred benefits on the people; that the periods of service of the three were so different; and that the sons were one superior, and the other superior:-- all this was from Heaven, and what could not be brought about by man. That which is done without man's doing is from Heaven. That which happens without man's causing is from the ordinance of Heaven.
3. 'In the case of a private individual obtaining the throne, there must be in him virtue equal to that of Shun or Yü; and moreover there must be the presenting of him to Heaven by the preceding sovereign. It was on this account that Confucius did not obtain the throne.
4. 'When the kingdom is possessed by natural succession, the sovereign who is displaced by Heaven must be like Chieh or Châu. It was on this account that Yî, Î Yin, and Châu-kung did not obtain the throne.
5. 'Î Yin assisted T'ang so that he became sovereign over the kingdom. After the demise of T'ang, T'âi-ting having died before he could be appointed sovereign, Wâ'i-ping reigned two years, and Chung-zin four. T'âi-chiâ was then turning upside down the statutes of T'ang, when Î Yin placed him in T'ung for three years. There T'âi-chiâ repented of his errors, was contrite, and reformed himself. In T'ung be came to dwell in benevolence and walk in righteousness, during those threee years, listening to the lessons given to him by Î Yin. Then Î Yin again returned with him to Po.
6. 'Châu-kung not getting the throne was like the case of Yî and the throne of Hsiâ, or like that of Î Yin and the throne of Yin.
7. 'Confucius said, "T'ang and Yü resigned the throne to their worthy ministers. The sovereign of Hsiâ and those of Yin and Châu transmitted it to their sons. The principle of righteousness was the same in all the cases."'
[9.7]
萬章問曰：「人有言，伊尹以割烹要湯：有諸？」
孟子曰：「否，不然。伊尹耕於有莘之野，而樂堯、舜之道焉。非其義也，非其道也，祿之以天下，弗顧也繫馬千駟，弗視 也;。非其義也，非其道也，一介不以與人，一介不以取諸人。湯使人以幣聘之，囂囂然曰：『我何以湯之聘幣爲哉！』我豈若處畎畝之中，由是以樂堯、舜之道 哉！湯三使往聘之，旣而幡然改曰：『與我處畎畝之中，由是以樂堯、舜之道，吾豈若使是君爲堯、舜之君哉！吾豈若使是民爲堯、舜之民哉！吾豈若於吾身親見之 哉！『天之生此民也，使先知覺後知，使先覺覺後覺也。豫、天民之先覺者也，豫將以斯道覺斯民也，非豫覺之而誰也！』思天下之民，匹夫匹婦有不被堯、舜之澤 者，若己推而內之溝中其自任以天下之重;如此！故就湯而說之，以伐夏救民。吾未聞枉己而正人者也，況辱己以正天下者乎！聖人之行不同也或遠或近，或去或不 去歸潔其身而已矣;;。吾聞其以堯、舜之道要湯，未聞以割烹也。伊訓曰：『天誅造攻自牧宮，朕載自亳。』」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'People say that Î Yin sought an introduction to T'ang by his knowledge of cookery. Was it so?'
2. Mencius replied, 'No, it was not so. Î Yin was a farmer in the lands of the prince of Hsin, delighting in the principles of Yâo and Shun. In any matter contrary to the righteousness which they prescribed, or contrary to their principles, though he had been offered the throne, he would not have regarded it; though there had been yoked for him a thousand teams of horses, he would not have looked at them. In any matter contrary to the righteousness which they prescribed, or contrary to their principles, he would neither have given nor taken a single straw.
3. 'T'ang sent persons with presents of silk to entreat him to enter his service. With an air of indifference and self-satisfaction he said, "What can I do with those silks with which T'ang invites me? Is it not best for me to abide in the channelled fields, and so delight myself with the principles of Yâo and Shun?"
4. 'T'ang thrice sent messengers to invite him. After this, with the change of resolution displayed in his countenance, he spoke in a different style,-- "Instead of abiding in the channelled fields and thereby delighting myself with the principles of Yâo and Shun, had I not better make this prince a prince like Yâo or Shun, and this people like the people of Yâo or Shun ? Had I not better in my own person see these things for myself?
5. '"Heaven's plan in the production of mankind is this:-- that they who are first informed should instruct those who are later in being informed, and they who first apprehend principles should instruct those who are slower to do so. I am one of Heaven's people who have first apprehended;-- I will take these principles and instruct this people in them. If I do not instruct them, who will do so?"
6. 'He thought that among all the people of the kingdom, even the private men and women, if there were any who did not enjoy such benefits as Yâo and Shun conferred, it was as if he himself pushed them into a ditch. He took upon himself the heavy charge of the kingdom in this way, and therefore he went to T'ang, and pressed upon him the subject of attacking Hsiâ and saving the people.
7. 'I have not heard of one who bent himself, and at the same time made others straight;-- how much less could one disgrace himself, and thereby rectify the whole kingdom? The actions of the sages have been different. Some have kept remote from court, and some have drawn near to it; some have left their offices, and some have not done so:-- that to which those different courses all agree is simply the keeping of their persons pure.
8. 'I have heard that Î Yin sought an introduction to T'ang by the doctrines of Yâo and Shun. I have not heard that he did so by his knowledge of cookery.
9. 'In the "Instructions of Î," it is said, "Heaven destroying Chieh commenced attacking him in the palace of Mû. I commenced in Po."'
[9.8]
萬章問曰：「或謂孔子於衛主癰疽，於齊主侍人瘠環：有諸乎？」
孟子曰：「否，不然也，好事者爲之也。於衛主顏讎由。彌子之妻，與子路之妻，兄弟也彌子謂子路曰：;『孔子主我，衛卿 可得也。』子路以吿，孔子曰：『有命。』孔子進以禮，退以義，得之不得曰『有命。』而主癰疽與侍人瘠環，是無義無命也。孔子不悅於魯、衛遭宋桓司馬，將要 而殺之，微服而過宋。是時孔子當阨，主司城貞子，爲陳侯周臣。吾聞觀近臣以其所爲主，觀遠臣以其所主，若孔子主癰疽與侍人瘠環，何以爲孔子！」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'Some say that Confucius, when he was in Wei, lived with the ulcer-doctor, and when he was in Ch'î, with the attendant, Ch'î Hwan;-- was it so?' Mencius replied, 'No; it was not so. Those are the inventions of men fond of strange things.
2. 'When he was in Wei, he lived with Yen Ch'âu-yû. The wives of the officer Mî and Tsze-lû were sisters, and Mî told Tsze-lû, "If Confucius will lodge with me, he may attain to the dignity of a high noble of Wei." Tsze-lû informed Confucius of this, and he said, "That is as ordered by Heaven." Confucius went into office according to propriety, and retired from it according to righteousness. In regard to his obtaining office or not obtaining it, he said, "That is as ordered." But if he had lodged with the attendant Chî Hwan, that would neither have been according to righteousness, nor any ordering of Heaven.
3. 'When Confucius, being dissatisfied in Lû and Wei, had left those States, he met with the attempt of Hwan, the Master of the Horse, of Sung, to intercept and kill him. He assumed, however, the dress of a common man, and passed by Sung. At that time, though he was in circumstances of distress, he lodged with the city-master Ch'ang, who was then a minister of Châu, the marquis of Ch'an.
4. 'I have heard that the characters of ministers about court may be discerned from those whom they entertain, and those of stranger officers, from those with whom they lodge. If Confucius had lodged with the ulcer-doctor, and with the attendant Chî Hwan, how could he have been Confucius?'
[9.9]
萬章問曰：「或曰：『百里奚自鬻於秦養牲者，五羊之皮食牛，以要秦穆公：信乎？」
孟子曰：「否，不然，好事者爲之也。百里奚，虞人也。晉人以垂棘之璧，與屈產之承，假道於虞以伐虢宮之奇諫，百里奚不 諫;。知虞公之不可諫而去之秦，年已七十矣，曾不知以食牛干秦穆公之爲汙也：可謂智乎？不可諫而不諫，可謂不智乎？知虞公之將亡而先去之，不可謂不智也。 時擧於秦，知穆公之可與有行也而相之：可謂不智乎？相秦而顯其君於天下，可傳於後世：不賢而能之乎？自鬻以成其君，鄉黨自好者不爲，而謂賢者爲之乎？」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, 'Some say that Pâi-lî Hsî sold himself to a cattle-keeper of Ch'in for the skins of five rams, and fed his oxen, in order to find an introduction to the duke Mû of Ch'in;-- was this the case?' Mencius said, 'No; it was not so. This story was invented by men fond of strange things.
2. 'Pâi-lî Hsî was a man of Yü. The people of Tsin, by the inducement of a round piece of jade from Ch'ûi-chî, and four horses of the Ch'ü breed, borrowed a passage through Yü to attack Kwo. On that occasion, Kung Chih-ch'î remonstrated against granting their request, and Pâi-lî Hsî did not remonstrate.
3. 'When he knew that the duke of Yü was not to be remonstrated with, and, leaving that State, went to Ch'in, he had reached the age of seventy. If by that time he did not know that it would be a mean thing to seek an introduction to the duke Mû of Ch'in by feeding oxen, could he be called wise? But not remonstrating where it was of no use to remonstrate, could he be said not to be wise? Knowing that the duke of Yü would be ruined, and leaving him before that event, he cannot be said not to have been wise. Being then advanced in Ch'in, he knew that the duke Mû was one with whom he would enjoy a field for action, and became minister to him;-- could he, acting thus, be said not to be wise? Having become chief minister of Ch'in, he made his prince distinguished throughout the kingdom, and worthy of being handed down to future ages;-- could he have done this, if he had not been a man of talents and virtue? As to selling himself in order to accomplish all the aims of his prince, even a villager who had a regard for himself would not do such a thing; and shall we say that a man of talents and virtue did it?'
萬章下 Book V, Part II: Wan Chang
[10.1]
孟子曰：「伯夷，目不視惡色，耳不聽惡聲非其君不事，非其民不使治則進，;;亂則退橫政之所出，橫民之所止，不忍居也思與鄉人處，如以朝衣朝冠坐於塗;;炭也。當紂之時，居北海之濱，以待天下之淸也。故聞伯夷之風者，頑夫廉，懦夫有立志。
「伊尹曰：『何事非君，何使非民？』治亦進，亂亦進。曰：『天之生斯民也，使先知覺後知，使先覺覺後覺豫，天民之先覺者也，豫將以此道覺此民也;。』思天下之民，匹夫匹婦有不與被堯、舜之澤者，若己推而內之溝中：其自任以天下之重也。
「柳下惠不羞於君，不辭小官進不隱賢必以其道，遺佚而不怨，阨窮而不憫與;;鄉人處，由由然不忍去也。『爾爲爾，我爲我雖袒裼裸裎於我側，爾焉能浼我;哉！』故聞柳下惠之風者，鄙夫寬，薄夫敦。
「孔子之去齊，接淅而行，去魯，曰：『遲遲吾行也，去父母國之道也。』可以速而速，可以久而久，可以處而處，可以仕而仕孔子也;。」
孟子曰：「伯夷，聖之淸者也伊尹，聖之任者也柳下惠，聖之和者也孔子，;;;聖之時者也。
「孔子之謂集大成，集大成也者，金聲而玉振之也金聲也者，始條理也玉振之;;也者，終條理也始條理者，智之事也終條理者，聖之事也;;。
「智，譬則巧也，聖，譬則力也。由射於百步之外也：其至，爾力也其中，非爾;力也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Po-î would not allow his eyes to look on a bad sight, nor his ears to listen to a bad sound. He would not serve a prince whom he did not approve, nor command a people whom he did not esteem. In a time of good government he took office, and on the occurrence of confusion he retired. He could not bear to dwell either in a court from which a lawless government emanated, or among lawless people. He considered his being in the same place with a villager, as if he were to sit amid mud and coals with his court robes and court cap. In the time of Châu he dwelt on the shores of the North sea, waiting the purification of the kingdom. Therefore when men now hear the character of Po-î, the corrupt become pure, and the weak acquire determination.
2. 'Î Yin said, "Whom may I not serve? My serving him makes him my sovereign. What people may I not command? My commanding them makes them my people." In a time of good government he took office, and when confusion prevailed, he also took office. He said, "Heaven's plan in the production of mankind is this:-- that they who are first informed should instruct those who are later in being informed, and they who first apprehend principles should instruct those who are slower in doing so. I am the one of Heaven's people who has first apprehended;-- I will take these principles and instruct the people in them." He thought that among all the people of the kingdom, even the common men and women, if there were any who did not share in the enjoyment of such benefits as Yâo and Shun conferred, it was as if he himself pushed them into a ditch;-- for he took upon himself the heavy charge of the kingdom.
3. 'Hûi of Liû-hsiâ was not ashamed to serve an impure prince, nor did he think it low to be an inferior officer. When advanced to employment, he did not conceal his virtue, but made it a point to carry out his principles. When dismissed and left without office, he did not murmur. When straitened by poverty, he did not grieve. When thrown into the company of village people, he was quite at ease and could not bear to leave them. He had a saying, "You are you, and I am I. Although you stand by my side with breast and arms bare, or with your body naked, how can you defile me?" Therefore when men now hear the character of Hûi of Liü-hsiâ, the mean become generous, and the niggardly become liberal.
4. 'When Confucius was leaving Ch'î, he strained off with his hand the water in which his rice was being rinsed, took the rice, and went away. When he left Lû, he said, "I will set out by-and-by:"-- it was right he should leave the country of his parents in this way. When it was proper to go away quickly, he did so; when it was proper to delay, he did so; when it was proper to keep in retirement, he did so; when it was proper to go into office, he did so:-- this was Confucius.'
5. Mencius said,'Po-î among the sages was the pure one; Î Yin was the one most inclined to take office; Hûi of Liû-hsiâ was the accommodating one; and Confucius was the timeous one.
6. 'In Confucius we have what is called a complete concert. A complete concert is when the large bell proclaims the commencement of the music, and the ringing stone proclaims its close. The metal sound commences the blended harmony of all the instruments, and the winding up with the stone terminates that blended harmony. The commencing that harmony is the work of wisdom. The terminating it is the work of sageness.
7. 'As a comparison for wisdom, we may liken it to skill, and as a comparison for sageness, we may liken it to strength;-- as in the case of shooting at a mark a hundred paces distant. That you reach it is owing to your strength, but that you hit the mark is not owing to your strength.'
[10.2]
北宮錡問曰：「周室班爵祿也，如之何？」
孟子曰：「其詳不可得聞也。諸侯惡其害己也，而皆去其籍。然而軻也，嘗聞其略也。
「天子一位，公一位，侯一位，伯一位，子、男同一位：凡五等也。君一位，卿一位，大夫一位，上士一位，中士一位，下士一位：凡六等。
「天子之制，地方千里公;、侯，皆方百里伯，七十里子;;、男，五十里凡四;等。不能五十里，不達於天子附於諸侯曰附庸;。
「天子之卿受地視侯，大夫受地視伯，元士受地視子、男。
「大國地方百里君十卿祿，卿祿四大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下;士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。
「次國地方七十里，君十卿祿，卿祿三大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。
「小國地方五十里。君十卿祿，卿祿二大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。
「耕者之所獲：一夫百畝，百畝之糞，上農夫食九人，上次食八人，中食七人，中次食六人，下食五人庶人在官者，其祿以是爲差;。」
1. Pêi-kung Î asked Mencius, saying, 'What was the arrangement of dignities and emoluments determined by the House of Châu?'
2. Mencius replied, 'The particulars of that arrangement cannot be learned, for the princes, disliking them as injurious to themselves, have all made away with the records of them. Still I have learned the general outline of them.
3. 'The SON OF HEAVEN constituted one dignity; the KUNG one; the HÂU one; the PÂI one; and the TSZE and the NAN each one of equal rank:-- altogether making five degrees of rank. The RULER again constituted one dignity; the CHIEF MINISTER one; the GREAT OFFICERS one; the SCHOLARS OF THE FIRST CLASS one; THOSE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS one; and THOSE OF THE LOWEST CLASS one:-- altogether making six degrees of dignity.
4. 'To the Son of Heaven there was allotted a territory of a thousand lî square. A Kung and a Hâu had each a hundred lî square. A Pâi had seventy lî, and a Tsze and a Nan had each fifty lî. The assignments altogether were of four amounts. Where the territory did not amount to fiftylî, the chief could not have access himself to the Son of Heaven. His land was attached to some Hâu-ship, and was called a FÛ-YUNG.
5. 'The Chief ministers of the Son of Heaven received an amount of territory equal to that of a Hâu; a Great officer received as much as a Pâi; and a scholar of the first class as much as a Tsze or a Nan.
6. 'In a great State, where the territory was a hundred lî square, the ruler had ten times as much income as his Chief ministers; a Chief minister four times as much as a Great officer; a Great officer twice as much as a scholar of the first class; a scholar of the first class twice as much as one of the middle; a scholar of the middle class twice as much as one of the lowest; the scholars of the lowest class, and such of the common people as were employed about the government offices, had for their emolument as much as was equal to what they would have made by tilling the fields.
7. 'In a State of the next order, where the territory was seventy lî square, the ruler had ten times as much revenue as his Chief minister; a Chief minister three times as much as a Great officer; a Great officer twice as much as a scholar of the first class; a scholar of the first class twice as much as one of the middle; a scholar of the middle class twice as much as one of the lowest; the scholars of the lowest class, and such of the common people as were employed about the government offices, had for their emolument as much as was equal to what they would have made by tilling the fields.
8. 'In a small State, where the territory was fifty lî square, the ruler had ten times as much revenue as his Chief minister; a Chief minister had twice as much as a Great officer; a Great officer twice as much as a scholar of the highest class; a scholar of the highest class twice as much as one of the middle; a scholar of the middle class twice as much as one of the lowest; scholars of the lowest class, and such of the common people as were employed about the government offices, had the same emolument;-- as much, namely, as was equal to what they would have made by tilling the fields.
9. 'As to those who tilled the fields, each husbandman received a hundred mâu. When those mâu were manured, the best husbandmen of the highest class supported nine individuals, and those ranking next to them supported eight. The best husbandmen of the second class supported seven individuals, and those ranking next to them supported six; while husbandmen of the lowest class only supported five. The salaries of the common people who were employed about the government offices were regulated according to these differences.'
[10.3]
萬章問曰：「敢問『友。』」孟子曰：「不挾長，不挾貴，不挾兄弟而友友也;者，友其德也，不可以有挾也。
「孟獻子，百承之家也，有友五人焉：樂正裘、牧仲，其三人則豫忘之矣。獻子之與此五人者友也，無獻子之家者也此五人者，亦有獻子之家，則不與之友矣;。
「非惟百承之家爲然也，雖小國之君亦有之。費惠公曰：『吾於子思，則師之矣，吾於顏般，則友之矣王順;、長息，則事我者也。』
「非惟小國之君爲然也，雖大國之君亦有之。晉平公之於亥唐也，入元則入，坐元則坐，食元則食雖疏食菜羹，未嘗不飽，蓋不敢不飽也;。然終於此而已矣弗與;共天位也，弗與治天職也，弗與食天祿也：士之尊賢者也，非王公之尊賢也。
「舜尚見帝，帝館甥于貳室，亦饗舜，迭爲賓主。是天子而反匹夫也。
「用下敬上，謂之貴貴，用上敬下，謂之尊賢貴貴尊賢，其義一也;。」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'I venture to ask the principles of friendship.' Mencius replied, 'Friendship should be maintained without any presumption on the ground of one's superior age, or station, or the circumstances of his relatives. Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
2. 'There was Mang Hsien, chief of a family of a hundred chariots. He had five friends, namely, Yo-chang Chiû, Mû Chung, and three others whose names I have forgotten. With those five men Hsien maintained a friendship, because they thought nothing about his family. If they had thought about his family, he would not have maintained his friendship with them.
3. 'Not only has the chief of a family of a hundred chariots acted thus. The same thing was exemplified by the sovereign of a small State. The duke Hûi of Pî said, "I treat Tsze-sze as my Teacher, and Yen Pan as my Friend. As to Wang Shun and Ch'ang Hsî, they serve me."
4. 'Not only has the sovereign of a small State acted thus. The same thing has been exemplified by the sovereign of a large State. There was the duke P'ing of Tsin with Hâi T'ang:-- when T'ang told him to come into his house, he came; when he told him to be seated, he sat; when he told him to eat, he ate. There might only be coarse rice and soup of vegetables, but he always ate his fill, not daring to do otherwise. Here, however, he stopped, and went no farther. He did not call him to share any of Heaven's places, or to govern any of Heaven's offices, or to partake of any of Heaven's emoluments. His conduct was but a scholar's honouring virtue and talents, not the honouring them proper to a king or a duke.
5. 'Shun went up to court and saw the sovereign, who lodged him as his son-in-law in the second palace. The sovereign also enjoyed there Shun's hospitality. Alternately he was host and guest. Here was the sovereign maintaining friendship with a private man.
6. Respect shown by inferiors to superiors is called giving to the noble the observance due to rank. Respect shown by superiors to inferiors is called giving honour to talents and virtue. The rightness in each case is the same.'
[10.4]
萬章問曰：「敢問交際，何心也？」孟子曰：「恭也。」
曰：「卻之，卻之，爲不恭，何哉？」曰：「尊者賜之，曰：『其所取之者，義乎？不義乎？』而後受之以是爲不恭，故弗卻也;。」
曰：「請無以辭卻之，以心卻之，曰：『其取諸民之不義也。』而以他辭無受，不可乎？」曰：「其交也以道，其接也以禮，斯孔子受之矣。」
萬章曰：「今有禦人於國門之外者，其交也以道，其餽也以禮，斯可受禦與？」曰：「不可。唐誥曰：『殺越人于貨，閔不畏死，凡民罔不譈。』是不待教而誅者也。殷受夏，周受殷，所不辭也，於今爲烈，如之何其受之！」
曰：「今之諸侯取之於民也，猶禦也茍善其禮際矣，斯君子受之？敢問何說;也？」曰：「子以爲有王者作，將比今之諸侯而誅之乎？其教之不改而後誅之乎？夫謂非其有而取之者，盜也。充類至義之盡也。孔子之仕於魯也，魯人獵較，孔子亦獵較獵較猶可，而況受其賜乎？;」
曰：「然則孔子之仕也，非事道與？」曰：「事道也。」「事道奚獵較也？」曰：「孔子先簿正祭器，不以四方之食供簿正。」曰：「奚不去也？」曰：「爲之兆也，兆足以行矣而不行，而後去是以未嘗有所終三年淹也;。
「孔子有見行可之仕，有際可之仕，有公養之仕於季桓子，見行可之仕也於衛;;靈公，際可之仕也於衛孝公，公養之仕也;。」
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, 'I venture to ask what feeling of the mind is expressed in the presents of friendship?' Mencius replied, 'The feeling of respect.'
2. 'How is it,' pursued Chang, 'that the declining a present is accounted disrespectful?' The answer was, 'When one of honourable rank presents a gift, to say in the mind, "Was the way in which he got this righteous or not? I must know this before I can receive it;"-- this is deemed disrespectful, and therefore presents are not declined.'
3. Wan Chang asked again, 'When one does not take on him in so many express words to refuse the gift, but having declined it in his heart, saying, "It was taken by him unrighteously from the people," and then assigns some other reason for not receiving it;-- is not this a proper course?' Mencius said, 'When the donor offers it on a ground of reason, and his manner of doing so is according to propriety;-- in such a case Confucius would have received it.'
4. Wan Chang said, 'Here now is one who stops and robs people outside the gates of the city. He offers his gift on a ground of reason, and does so in a manner according to propriety;-- would the reception of it so acquired by robbery be proper?' Mencius replied, 'It would not be proper. in "The Announcement to Kang" it is said, "When men kill others, and roll over their bodies to take their property, being reckless and fearless of death, among all the people there are none but detest them:"-- thus, such characters are to be put to death, without waiting to give them warning. Yin received this rule from Hsiâ and Châu received it from Yin. It cannot be questioned, and to the present day is clearly acknowledged. How can the grift of a robber be received?'
5. Chang said, 'The princes of the present day take from their people just as a robber despoils his victim. Yet if they put a good face of propriety on their gifts, then the superior man receives them. I venture to ask how you explain this.' Mencius answered, 'Do you think that, if there should arise a truly royal sovereign, he would collect the princes of the present day, and put them all to death? Or would he admonish them, and then, on their not changing their ways, put them to death? Indeed, to call every one who takes what does not properly belong to him a robber, is pushing a point of resemblance to the utmost, and insisting on the most refined idea of righteousness. When Confucius was in office in Lû, the people struggled together for the game taken in hunting, and he also did the same. If that struggling for the captured game was proper, how much more may the gifts of the princes be received!'
6. Chang urged, 'Then are we to suppose that when Confucius held office, it was not with the view to carry his doctrines into practice?' 'It was with that view,' Mencius replied, and Chang rejoined, 'If the practice of his doctrines was his business, what had he to do with that struggling for the captured game?' Mencius said, 'Confucius first rectified his vessels of sacrifice according to the registers, and did not fill them so rectified with food gathered from every quarter.' 'But why did he not go away?' He wished to make a trial of carrying his doctrines into practice. When that trial was sufficient to show that they could be practised and they were still not practised, then he went away, and thus it was that he never completed in any State a residence of three years.
7. 'Confucius took office when he saw that the practice of his doctrines was likely; he took office when his reception was proper; he took office when he was supported by the State. In the case of his relation to Chî Hwan, he took office, seeing that the practice of his doctrines was likely. With the duke Ling of Wei he took office, because his reception was proper. With the duke Hsiâo of Wei he took office, because he was maintained by the State.'
[10.5]
孟子曰：「仕非爲貧也，而有時乎爲貧娶妻非爲養也，而有時乎爲養;。
「爲貧者，辭尊居卑，辭富居貧。
「辭尊居卑，辭富居貧，惡乎宜乎？抱關擊柝。
「孔子嘗爲委吏矣，曰：『會計當而已矣;』嘗爲承田矣，曰：『牛羊茁壯長而已矣。』
「位卑而言高，罪也。立乎人之本朝而道不行，恥也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Office is not sought on account of poverty, yet there are times when one seeks office on that account. Marriage is not entered into for the sake of being attended to by the wife, yet there are times when one marries on that account.
2. 'He who takes office on account of his poverty must decline an honourable situation and occupy a low one; he must decline riches and prefer to be poor.
3. 'What office will be in harmony with this declining an honourable situation and occupying a low one, this declining riches and preferring to be poor? Such an one as that of guarding the gates, or beating the watchman's stick.
4. 'Confucius was once keeper of stores, and he then said, "My calculations must be all right. That is all I have to care about." He was once in charge of the public fields, and he then said, "The oxen and sheep must be fat and strong, and superior. That is all I have to care about."
5. 'When one is in a low situation, to speak of high matters is a crime. When a scholar stands in a prince's court, and his principles are not carried into practice, it is a shame to him.'
[10.6]
萬章曰：「士之不託諸侯，何也？」孟子曰：「不敢也。諸侯失國而後託於諸侯，禮也士之託於諸侯，非禮也;。」
萬章曰：「君餽之粟，則受之乎？」曰：「受之。」「受之，何義也？」曰：「君之於氓也，固周之。」
曰：「周之則受，賜之則不受：何也？」曰：「不敢也。」曰：「敢問其『不敢』何也？」曰：「抱關擊柝者，皆有常職以食於上無常職而賜於上者，以爲不恭;也。」
曰：「君餽之，則受之不識可常繼乎？;」曰：「繆公之於子思也，亟問亟餽鼎肉，子思不悅於卒也，摽使者出諸大門之外，北面稽首再拜而不受，曰：;『今而後，知君之犬馬畜伋！』蓋自是臺無餽也。悅賢不能擧，又不能養也：可謂悅賢乎？」
曰：「敢問國君欲養君子，如何斯可謂養矣？」曰：「以君命將之，再拜稽首而受其後廩人繼粟，庖人繼肉，不以君命將之;。子思以爲鼎肉使己僕僕爾亟拜也，非養君子之道也。
「堯之於舜也，使其子九男事之，二女女焉，百官牛羊食廩備：以養舜於畎畝之中。後擧而加諸上位。故曰：『王公之尊賢者也。』」
1. Wan Chang said, 'What is the reason that a scholar does not accept a stated support from a prince?' Mencius replied, 'He does not presume to do so. When a prince loses his State, and then accepts a stated support from another prince, this is in accordance with propriety. But for a scholar to accept such support from any of the princes is not in accordance with propriety.'
2. Wan Chang said, 'If the prince send him a present of grain, for instance, does he accept it?' 'He accepts it,' answered Mencius. 'On what principle of righteousness does he accept it?' 'Why-- the prince ought to assist the people in their necessities.'
3. Chang pursued, 'Why is it that the scholar will thus accept the prince's help, but will not accept his pay?' The answer was, 'He does not presume to do so.' 'I venture to ask why he does not presume to do so.' 'Even the keepers of the gates, with their watchmen's sticks, have their regular offices for which they can take their support from the prince. He who without a regular office should receive the pay of the prince must be deemed disrespectful.'
4. Chang asked, 'If the prince sends a scholar a present, he accepts it;-- I do not know whether this present may be constantly repeated.' Mencius answered, 'There was the conduct of the duke Mû to Tsze-sze-- He made frequent inquiries after Tsze-sze's health, and sent him frequent presents of cooked meat. Tsze-sze was displeased; and at length, having motioned to the messenger to go outside the great door, he bowed his head to the ground with his face to the north, did obeisance twice, and declined the gift, saying, "From this time forth I shall know that the prince supports me as a dog or a horse." And so from that time a servant was no more sent with the presents. When a prince professes to be pleased with a man of talents and virtue, and can neither promote him to office, nor support him in the proper way, can he be said to be pleased with him?
5. Chang said, 'I venture to ask how the sovereign of a State, when he wishes to support a superior man, must proceed, that he may be said to do so in the proper way?' Mencius answered, 'At first, the present must be offered with the prince's commission, and the scholar, making obeisance twice with his head bowed to the ground, will receive it. But after this the storekeeper will continue to send grain, and the master of the kitchen to send meat, presenting it as if without the prince's express commission. Tsze-sze considered that the meat from the prince's caldron, giving him the annoyance of constantly doing obeisance, was not the way to support a superior man.
6. 'There was Yâo's conduct to Shun:-- He caused his nine sons to serve him, and gave him his two daughters in marriage; he caused the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared to support Shun amid the channelled fields, and then he raised him to the most exalted situation. From this we have the expression-- "The honouring of virtue and talents proper to a king or a duke."'
[10.7]
萬章曰：「敢問不見諸侯，何義也？」孟子曰：「在國曰市井之臣，在野曰草莽之臣，皆謂庶人，庶人不傳質爲臣，不敢見於諸侯，禮也。」
萬章曰：「庶人，召之役則往役君欲見之，召之則不往見之，何也？;」曰：「往役，義也往見，不義也;。
「且君之欲見之也，何爲也哉？」曰：「爲其多聞也，爲其賢也。」曰：「爲其多聞也，則天子不召師，而況諸侯乎！爲其賢也，則吾未聞欲見賢而召之也。
「繆公亟見於子思曰：『古千乘之國以友士，何如？』子思不悅曰：『古之人有言曰「事之」云乎？豈曰「友之」云乎？』子思之不悅也，豈不曰：『以位，則子君也，我臣也，何敢與君友也？以德，則子事我者也，奚可以與我友？』千乘之君，求與之友而不可得也，而況可召與？
「齊景公田，招虞人以旌，不至，將殺之。『志士不忘在溝壑，勇士不忘喪其元;』孔子奚取焉？取：非其招不往也。」
曰：「敢問招虞人何以？」曰：「以皮冠。庶人以旃，士以旂，大夫以旌。
「以大夫之招招虞人，虞人死不敢往以士之招招庶人，庶人豈敢往哉！況乎以不;賢人之招招賢人乎！
「欲見賢人而不以其道，猶欲其入而閉之門也。夫義、路也，禮、門也惟君子能;由是路，出入是門也。詩云：『周道如底，其直如矢君之所履，小人所視;。』」
萬章曰：「孔子，君命召，不俟駕而行。然則孔子非與？」曰：「孔子當仕有官職，而以其官召之也。」
1. Wan Chang said, 'I venture to ask what principle of righteousness is involved in a scholar's not going to see the princes?' Mencius replied, 'A scholar residing in the city is called "a minister of the market-place and well," and one residing in the country is called "a minister of the grass and plants." In both cases he is a common man, and it is the rule of propriety that common men, who have not presented the introductory present and become ministers, should not presume to have interviews with the prince.'
2. Wan Chang said, 'If a common man is called to perform any service, he goes and performs it;-- how is it that a scholar, when the prince, wishing to see him, calls him to his presence, refuses to go?' Mencius replied, 'It is right to go and perform the service; it would not be right to go and see the prince.'
3. 'And,' added Mencius, 'on what account is it that the prince wishes to see the scholar?' 'Because of his extensive information, or because of his talents and virtue,' was the reply. 'If because of his extensive information,' said Mencius, 'such a person is a teacher, and the sovereign would not call him;-- how much less may any of the princes do so? If because of his talents and virtue, then I have not heard of any one wishing to see a person with those qualities, and calling him to his presence.
4. 'During the frequent interviews of the duke Mû with Tsze-sze, he one day said to him, "Anciently, princes of a thousand chariots have yet been on terms of friendship with scholars;-- what do you think of such an intercourse?" Tsze-sze was displeased, and said, "The ancients have said, 'The scholar should be served:' how should they have merely said that he should be made a friend of?" When Tsze-sze was thus displeased, did he not say within himself,-- "With regard to our stations, you are sovereign, and I am subject. How can I presume to be on terms of friendship with my sovereign! With regard to our virtue, you ought to make me your master. How can you be on terms of friendship with me?" Thus, when a ruler of a thousand chariots sought to be on terms of friendship with a scholar, he could not obtain his wish:-- how much less could he call him to his presence!
5. 'The duke Ching of Ch'î, once, when he was hunting, called his forester to him by a flag. The forester would not come, and the duke was going to kill him. With reference to this incident, Confucius said, "The determined officer never forgets that his end may be in a ditch or a stream; the brave officer never forgets that he may lose his head." What was it in the forester that Confucius thus approved? He approved his not going to the duke, when summoned by the article which was not appropriate to him.'
6. Chang said, 'May I ask with what a forester should be summoned?' Mencius replied, 'With a skin cap. A common man should be summoned with a plain banner; a scholar who has taken office, with one having dragons embroidered on it; and a Great officer, with one having feathers suspended from the top of the staff.
7. 'When the forester was summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a Great officer, he would have died rather than presume to go. If a common man were summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a scholar, how could he presume to go? How much more may we expect this refusal to go, when a man of talents and virtue is summoned in a way which is inappropriate to his character!
8. 'When a prince wishes to see a man of talents and virtue, and does not take the proper course to get his wish, it is as if he wished him to enter his palace, and shut the door against him. Now, righteousness is the way, and propriety is the door, but it is only the superior man who can follow this way, and go out and in by this door. It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"The way to Châu is level like a whetstone,
And straight as an arrow.
The officers tread it,
And the lower people see it."'
9. Wan Chang said, 'When Confucius received the prince's message calling him, he went without waiting for his carriage. Doing so, did Confucius do wrong?' Mencius replied, 'Confucius was in office, and had to observe its appropriate duties. And moreover, he was summoned on the business of his office.'
[10.8]
孟子謂萬章曰：「一鄉之善士，斯友一鄉之善士，一國之善士，斯友一國之善士;天下之善士，斯友天下之善士。
「以友天下之善士爲未足，又尚論古之人。頌其詩讀其書，不知其人可乎！是以;論其世也：是尚友也。」
1. Mencius said to Wan Chang, 'The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished in a village shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars in the village. The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished throughout a State shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars of that State. The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished throughout the kingdom shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars of the kingdom.
2. 'When a scholar feels that his friendship with all the virtuous scholars of the kingdom is not sufficient to satisfy him, he proceeds to ascend to consider the men of antiquity. He repeats their poems, and reads their books, and as he does not know what they were as men, to ascertain this, he considers their history. This is to ascend and make friends of the men of antiquity.'
[10.9]
齊宣王問「卿。」孟子曰：「王何『卿』之問也？」王曰：「卿不同乎？」曰：「不同：有貴戚之卿，有異姓之卿。」王曰：「請問『貴戚之卿。』」曰：「君有大過則諫反覆之而不聽，則易位;。」
王勃然變乎色。
曰：「王勿異也。王問臣，臣不敢不以正對。」
王色定，然後請問「異姓之卿。」曰：「君有過則諫反覆之而不聽，則去;。」
1. The king Hsüan of Ch'î asked about the office of high ministers. Mencius said, 'Which high ministers is your Majesty asking about?' 'Are there differences among them?' inquired the king. 'There are' was the reply. 'There are the high ministers who are noble and relatives of the prince, and there are those who are of a different surname.' The king said, 'I beg to ask about the high ministers who are noble and relatives of the prince.' Mencius answered, 'If the prince have great faults, they ought to remonstrate with him, and if he do not listen to them after they have done so again and again, they ought to dethrone him.'
2. The king on this looked moved, and changed countenance.
3. Mencius said, 'Let not your Majesty be offended. You asked me, and I dare not answer but according to truth.'
4. The king's countenance became composed, and he then begged to ask about high ministers who were of a different surname from the prince. Mencius said, 'When the prince has faults, they ought to remonstrate with him; and if he do not listen to them after they have done this again and again, they ought to leave the State.'
吿子上 Book VI, Part I: Kâo Tsze
[11.1]
吿子曰：「性，猶杞柳也義，猶桮棬也以人性爲仁義，猶以杞柳爲桮棬;;。」
孟子曰：「子能順杞柳之性，而以爲桮棬乎？將戕賊杞柳，而後以爲桮棬也？將戕賊杞柳而以爲桮棬，則亦將戕賊人以爲仁義與？率天下之人而禍仁義者，必子之言夫！」
1. The philosopher Kâo said, 'Man's nature is like the ch'î-willow , and righteousness is like a cup or a bowl. The fashioning benevolence and righteousness out of man's nature is like the making cups and bowls from the ch'î-willow.'
2. Mencius replied, 'Can you, leaving untouched the nature of the willow, make with it cups and bowls? You must do violence and injury to the willow, before you can make cups and bowls with it. If you must do violence and injury to the willow in order to make cups and bowls with it, on your principles you must in the same way do violence and injury to humanity in order to fashion from it benevolence and righteousness! Your words, alas! would certainly lead all men on to reckon benevolence and righteousness to be calamities.'
[11.2]
吿子曰：「性，猶湍水也決諸東方則東流，決諸西方則西流;。人性之無分於善不善也，猶水之無分於東西也。」
孟子曰：「水信無分於東西，無分於上下乎？人性之善也，猶水之就下也人無有;不善，水無有不下。今未水：搏而躍之，可使過顙激而行之，可使在山;。是豈水之性哉，其勢則然也。人之可使爲不善，其性亦猶是也。」
1. The philosopher Kâo said, 'Man's nature is like water whirling round in a corner. Open a passage for it to the east, and it will flow to the east; open a passage for it to the west, and it will flow to the west. Man's nature is indifferent to good and evil, just as the water is indifferent to the east and west.'
2. Mencius replied, 'Water indeed will flow indifferently to the east or west, but will it flow indifferently up or down? The tendency of man's nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. There are none but have this tendency to good, just as all water flows downwards.
3. 'Now by striking water and causing it to leap up, you may make it go over your forehead, and, by damming and leading it you may force it up a hill;-- but are such movements according to the nature of water? It is the force applied which causes them. When men are made to do what is not good, their nature is dealt with in this way.'
[11.3]
吿子曰：「生之謂性。」
孟子曰：「生之謂性也，猶白之謂白與？」曰：「然。」「白羽之白也，猶白雪之白白雪之白，猶白玉之白與？;」
曰：「然。」
「然則犬之性，猶牛之性牛之性，猶人之性與？;」
1. The philosopher Kâo said, 'Life is what we call nature!'
2. Mencius asked him, 'Do you say that by nature you mean life, just as you say that white is white?' 'Yes, I do,' was the reply. Mencius added, 'Is the whiteness of a white feather like that of white snow, and the whiteness of white snow like that of white jade?' Kâo again said 'Yes.'
3. 'Very well,' pursued Mencius. 'Is the nature of a dog like the nature of an ox, and the nature of an ox like the nature of a man?'
[11.4]
吿子曰：「食、色，性也。仁，內也，非外也，義，外也，非內也。」
孟子曰：「何以謂仁內義外也？」
曰：「彼長而我長之，非有長於我也。猶彼白而我白之，從其白於外也。故謂之外也。」
曰：「異於白馬之白也，無以異於白人之白也。不識長馬之長也，無以異於長人之長與？且謂長者義乎？長之者義乎？」
曰：「吾弟則愛之，秦人之弟則不愛也：是以我爲悅者也，故謂之內。長楚人之長，亦長吾之長：是以長爲悅者也，故謂之外也。」
曰：「耆秦人之炙，無以異於耆吾炙。夫物則亦有然者也，然則耆炙亦有外與？」
1. The philosopher Kâo said, 'To enjoy food and delight in colours is nature. Benevolence is internal and not external; righteousness is external and not internal.'
2. Mencius asked him, 'What is the ground of your saying that benevolence is internal and righteousness external?' He replied, 'There is a man older than I, and I give honour to his age. It is not that there is first in me a principle of such reverence to age. It is just as when there is a white man, and I consider him white; according as he is so externally to me. On this account, I pronounce of righteousness that it is external.'
3. Mencius said, 'There is no difference between our pronouncing a white horse to be white and our pronouncing a white man to be white. But is there no difference between the regard with which we acknowledge the age of an old horse and that with which we acknowledge the age of an old man? And what is it which is called righteousness?-- the fact of a man's being old? or the fact of our giving honour to his age?'
4. Kâo said, 'There is my younger brother;-- I love him. But the younger brother of a man of Ch'in I do not love: that is, the feeling is determined by myself, and therefore I say that benevolence is internal. On the other hand, I give honour to an old man of Ch'û, and I also give honour to an old man of my own people: that is, the feeling is determined by the age, and therefore I say that righteousness is external.'
5. Mencius answered him, 'Our enjoyment of meat roasted by a man of Ch'in does not differ from our enjoyment of meat roasted by ourselves. Thus, what you insist on takes place also in the case of such things, and will you say likewise that our enjoyment of a roast is external?'
[11.5]
孟季子問公都子曰：「何以謂義內也？」
曰：「行吾敬，故謂之內也。」
「鄉人長於伯兄一歲，則誰敬？」曰：「敬兄。」「酌則誰先？」曰：「先酌鄉人。」「所敬在此，所長在彼果在外，非由內也;。」
公都子不能答，以吿孟子。孟子曰：「『敬叔父乎？敬弟乎？』彼將曰：『敬叔父。』曰：『弟爲尸，則誰敬？』彼將曰：『敬弟。』子曰：『惡在其敬叔父也？』彼將曰：『在位故也。』子亦曰：『在位故也。』庸敬在兄，斯須之敬在鄉人。」
季子聞之，曰：「敬叔則敬，敬弟則敬果在外非由內也;。」公都子曰：「冬日則飮湯，夏日飮水。然則飮食亦在外也！」
1. The disciple Mang Chî asked Kung-tû, saying, 'On what ground is it said that righteousness is internal?'
2. Kung-tû replied, 'We therein act out our feeling of respect, and therefore it is said to be internal.'
3. The other objected, 'Suppose the case of a villager older than your elder brother by one year, to which of them would you show the greater respect?' 'To my brother,' was the reply. 'But for which of them would you first pour out wine at a feast?' 'For the villager.' Mang Chî argued, 'Now your feeling of reverence rests on the one, and now the honour due to age is rendered to the other;-- this is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.'
4. Kung-tû was unable to reply, and told the conversation to Mencius. Mencius said, 'You should ask him, "Which do you respect most,-- your uncle, or your younger brother?" He will answer, "My uncle." Ask him again, "If your younger brother be personating a dead ancestor, to which do you show the greater respect,-- to him or to your uncle?" He will say, "To my younger brother." You can go on, "But where is the respect due, as you said, to your uncle?" He will reply to this, "I show the respect to my younger brother, because of the position which he occupies," and you can likewise say, "So my respect to the villager is because of the position which he occupies. Ordinarily, my respect is rendered to my elder brother; for a brief season, on occasion, it is rendered to the villager."'
5. Mang Chî heard this and observed, 'When respect is due to my uncle, I respect him, and when respect is due to my younger brother, I respect him;-- the thing is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.' Kung-tû replied, 'In winter we drink things hot, in summer we drink things cold; and so, on your principle, eating and drinking also depend on what is external!'
[11.6]
公都子曰：「吿子曰：『性無善無不善也。』
「或曰：『性可以爲善，可以爲不善。』是故，文、武興，則民好善，幽、厲興，則民好暴。
「或曰：『有性善，有性不善。』是故，以堯爲君而有象，以瞽瞍爲父而有舜，以紂爲兄之子，且以爲君，而有微子啟、王子比干。
「今曰性善，然則彼皆非與？」
孟子曰：「乃若其情，則可以爲善矣，乃所謂善也。
「若夫爲不善，非才之罪也。
「惻隱之心，人皆有之羞惡之心，人皆有之恭敬之心，人皆有之是非之心，;;;人皆有之。惻隱之心，仁也羞惡之心，義也 恭敬之心，禮也是非之心，智;;;也。仁、義、禮、智，非由外鑠我也，我固有之也，弟思耳矣！故曰：『求則得之，舍則失之。』或相倍蓗而無算者，不能盡其 才者也。
「詩云：『天生蒸民，有物有則，民之秉夷，好是懿德。』孔子曰：『爲此詩者，其知道乎！』故有物必有則，民之秉夷也，故好是懿德。」
1. The disciple Kung-tû said, 'The philosopher Kâo says, "Man's nature is neither good nor bad."
2. 'Some say, "Man's nature may be made to practise good, and it may be made to practise evil, and accordingly, under Wan and Wû, the people loved what was good, while under Yû and Lî, they loved what was cruel."
3. 'Some say, "The nature of some is good, and the nature of others is bad. Hence it was that under such a sovereign as Yâo there yet appeared Hsiang; that with such a father as Kû-sâu there yet appeared Shun; and that with Châu for their sovereign, and the son of their elder brother besides, there were found Ch'î, the viscount of Wei, and the prince Pî-Kan.
4. 'And now you say, "The nature is good." Then are all those wrong?'
5. Mencius said, 'From the feelings proper to it, it is constituted for the practice of what is good. This is what I mean in saying that the nature is good.
6. 'If men do what is not good, the blame cannot be imputed to their natural powers.
7. 'The feeling of commiseration belongs to all men; so does that of shame and dislike; and that of reverence and respect; and that of approving and disapproving. The feeling of commiseration implies the principle of benevolence; that of shame and dislike, the principle of righteousness; that of reverence and respect, the principle of propriety; and that of approving and disapproving, the principle of knowledge. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge are not infused into us from without. We are certainly furnished with them. And a different view is simply owing to want of reflection. Hence it is said, "Seek and you will find them. Neglect and you will lose them." Men differ from one another in regard to them;-- some as much again as others, some five times as much, and some to an incalculable amount:-- it is because they cannot carry out fully their natural powers.
8. 'It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"Heaven in producing mankind,
Gave them their various faculties and relations with their specific laws.
These are the invariable rules of nature for all to hold,
And all love this admirable virtue."
--Confucius said, "The maker of this ode knew indeed the principle of our nature!" We may thus see that every faculty and relation must have its law, and since there are invariable rules for all to hold, they consequently love this admirable virtue.'
[11.7]
孟子曰：「富歲子弟多賴，凶歲子弟多暴：非天子降才爾殊也，其所以陷溺其心者然也。
「今夫麰麥，播種而耰之，其地同，樹之時又同，浡然而生，至於日至之時，皆熟矣雖有不同，則地有肥磽，雨露之養，人事之不齊也;。
「故凡同類者擧相似也，何獨至於人而疑之！聖人與我同類者。
「故龍子曰：『不知足而爲屨，我知其不爲蕢也！』屨之相似，天下之足同也。
「口之於味，有同耆也，易牙先得我口之所耆者也如使口之於味也，其性與人;殊，若犬馬之與我不同類也，則天下何耆皆從易牙之於味也？至於味，天下期於易牙，是天下之口相似也。
「惟耳亦然。至於聲，天下期於師曠，是天下之耳相似也。
「惟目亦然。至於子都，天下莫不知其姣也不知子都之姣者，無目者也;。
「故曰：口之於味也，有同耆焉耳之於聲也，有同聽焉目之於色也，有同美;;焉。至於心，獨無所同然乎？心之所同然者，何也？謂理也，義也聖人先得我心;之所同然耳！故理義之悅我心，猶芻豢之悅我口。」
1. Mencius said, 'In good years the children of the people are most of them good, while in bad years the most of them abandon themselves to evil. It is not owing to any difference of their natural powers conferred by Heaven that they are thus different. The abandonment is owing to the circumstances through which they allow their minds to be ensnared and drowned in evil.
2. 'There now is barley.-- Let it be sown and covered up; the ground being the same, and the time of sowing likewise the same, it grows rapidly up, and, when the full time is come, it is all found to be ripe. Although there may be inequalities of produce, that is owing to the difference of the soil, as rich or poor, to the unequal nourishment afforded by the rains and dews, and to the different ways in which man has performed his business in reference to it.
3. 'Thus all things which are the same in kind are like to one another;-- why should we doubt in regard to man, as if he were a solitary exception to this? The sage and we are the same in kind.
4. 'In accordance with this the scholar Lung said, "If a man make hempen sandals without knowing the size of people's feet, yet I know that he will not make them like baskets." Sandals are all like one another, because all men's feet are like one another.
5. 'So with the mouth and flavours;-- all mouths have the same relishes. Yî-yâ only apprehended before me what my mouth relishes. Suppose that his mouth in its relish for flavours differed from that of other men, as is the case with dogs or horses which are not the same in kind with us, why should all men be found following Yî-yâ in their relishes? In the matter of tastes all the people model themselves after Yî-yâ; that is, the mouths of all men are like one another.
6. 'And so also it is with the ear. In the matter of sounds, the whole people model themselves after the music-master K'wang; that is, the ears of all men are like one another.
7. 'And so also it is with the eye. In the case of Tsze-tû, there is no man but would recognise that he was beautiful. Any one who would not recognise the beauty of Tsze-tû must have no eyes.
8. 'Therefore I say,-- Men's mouths agree in having the same relishes; their ears agree in enjoying the same sounds; their eyes agree in recognising the same beauty:-- shall their minds alone be without that which the similarly approve? What is it then of which they similarly approve? It is, I say, the principles of our nature, and the determinations of righteousness. The sages only apprehended before me that of which my mind approves along with other men. Therefore the principles of our nature and the determinations of righteousness are agreeable to my mind, just as the flesh of grass and grain-fed animals is agreeable to my mouth.'
[11.8]
孟子曰：「牛山之木嘗美矣以其郊於大國也，斧斤伐之，可以爲美乎？是其日夜;之所息，雨露之所潤，非無菌蘗之生焉牛羊又從而牧之，是以若彼濯濯也人見;;其濯濯也，以爲未嘗有材焉：此豈山之性也哉！
「雖存乎人者，豈無仁義之心哉？其所以放其良心者，亦猶斧斤之於木也。旦旦而伐之，可以爲美乎？其日夜之所息，平旦之 氣，其好惡與人相近也者幾希則其旦;晝之所爲，有梏亡之矣梏之反覆，則其夜氣不足以存夜氣不足以存，則其違禽;;獸不遠矣人見其禽獸也，而以爲未嘗有才焉 者：是豈人之情也哉！;
「故茍得其養，無物不長茍失其養，無物不消;。
「孔子曰：『操則存，舍則亡出入無時，莫知其鄉;。』惟心之謂與！」
1. Mencius said, 'The trees of the Niû mountain were once beautiful. Being situated, however, in the borders of a large State, they were hewn down with axes and bills;-- and could they retain their beauty? Still through the activity of the vegetative life day and night, and the nourishing influence of the rain and dew, they were not without buds and sprouts springing forth, but then came the cattle and goats and browsed upon them. To these things is owing the bare and stripped appearance of the mountain, and when people now see it, they think it was never finely wooded. But is this the nature of the mountain?
2. 'And so also of what properly belongs to man;-- shall it be said that the mind of any man was without benevolence and righteousness? The way in which a man loses his proper goodness of mind is like the way in which the trees are denuded by axes and bills. Hewn down day after day, can it-- the mind-- retain its beauty? But there is a development of its life day and night, and in the calm air of the morning, just between night and day, the mind feels in a degree those desires and aversions which are proper to humanity, but the feeling is not strong, and it is fettered and destroyed by what takes place during the day. This fettering taking place again and again, the restorative influence of the night is not sufficient to preserve the proper goodness of the mind; and when this proves insufficient for that purpose, the nature becomes not much different from that of the irrational animals, and when people now see it, they think that it never had those powers which I assert. But does this condition represent the feelings proper to humanity?
3. 'Therefore, if it receive its proper nourishment, there is nothing which will not grow. If it lose its proper nourishment, there is nothing which will not decay away.
4. 'Confucius said, "Hold it fast, and it remains with you. Let it go, and you lose it. Its outgoing and incoming cannot be defined as to time or place." It is the mind of which this is said!'
[11.9]
孟子曰：「無或乎王之不智也！
「雖有天下易生之物也，一日暴之，十日寒之，未有能生者也。吾見亦罕矣，吾退而寒之者至矣，吾如有萌焉何哉！
「今夫弈之爲數，小數也。不專心致志，則不得也。弈秋，通國之善弈者也。使弈秋誨二人弈其一人專心致志，惟弈秋之爲聽一人雖聽之，一心以爲有鴻鵠將;;至，思援弓繳而射之雖與之俱學，弗若之矣;。爲是其智弗若與？曰：非然也。」
1. Mencius said, 'It is not to be wondered at that the king is not wise!
2. 'Suppose the case of the most easily growing thing in the world;-- if you let it have one day's genial heat, and then expose it for ten days to cold, it will not be able to grow. It is but seldom that I have an audience of the king, and when I retire, there come all those who act upon him like the cold. Though I succeed in bringing out some buds of goodness, of what avail is it?
3. 'Now chess-playing is but a small art, but without his whole mind being given, and his will bent, to it, a man cannot succeed at it. Chess Ch'iû is the best chess-player in all the kingdom. Suppose that he is teaching two men to play.-- The one gives to the subject his whole mind and bends to it all his will, doing nothing but listening to Chess Ch'iû. The other, although he seems to be listening to him, has his whole mind running on a swan which he thinks is approaching, and wishes to bend his bow, adjust the string to the arrow, and shoot it. Although he is learning along with the other, he does not come up to him. Why?-- because his intelligence is not equal? Not so.'
[11.10]
孟子曰：「魚，我所欲也態掌，亦我所欲也;。二者不可得兼，舍魚而取態掌者也。生，亦我所欲也義，亦我所欲也二者不可得兼，舍生而取義者也;;。
「生亦我所欲，所欲有甚於生者，故不爲茍得也。死亦我所惡，所惡有甚於死者，故患有所不辟也。
「如使人之所欲莫甚於生，則凡可以得生者，何不用也！使人之所惡莫甚於死者，則凡可以辟患者，何不爲也！
「由是則生而有不用也，由是則可以辟患而有不爲也。
「是故，所欲有甚於生者，所惡有甚於死者。非獨賢者有是心也，人皆有之，賢者能勿喪耳。
「一簞食，一豆羹，得之則生，弗得則死，嘑爾而與之，行道之人弗受蹴爾;而與之，乞人不屑也。
「萬鐘則不辨禮義而受之，萬鐘於我何加焉！爲宮室之美，妻妾之奉，所識窮乏者得我與？
「鄉爲身死而不受，今爲宮室之美爲之鄉爲身死而不受，今爲妻妾之奉爲之，鄉;爲身死而不受，今爲所識窮乏者得我而爲之。是亦不可以已乎？此之謂失其本心。」
1. Mencius said, 'I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. So, I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness.
2. 'I like life indeed, but there is that which I like more than life, and therefore, I will not seek to possess it by any improper ways. I dislike death indeed, but there is that which I dislike more than death, and therefore there are occasions when I will not avoid danger.
3. 'If among the things which man likes there were nothing which he liked more than life, why should he not use every means by which he could preserve it? If among the things which man dislikes there were nothing which he disliked more than death, why should he not do everything by which he could avoid danger?
4. 'There are cases when men by a certain course might preserve life, and they do not employ it; when by certain things they might avoid danger, and they will not do them.
5. 'Therefore, men have that which they like more than life, and that which they dislike more than death. They are not men of distinguished talents and virtue only who have this mental nature. All men have it; what belongs to such men is simply that they do not lose it.
6. 'Here are a small basket of rice and a platter of soup, and the case is one in which the getting them will preserve life, and the want of them will be death;-- if they are offered with an insulting voice, even a tramper will not receive them, or if you first tread upon them, even a beggar will not stoop to take them.
7. 'And yet a man will accept of ten thousand chung, without any consideration of propriety or righteousness. What can the ten thousand chung add to him? When he takes them, is it not that he may obtain beautiful mansions, that he may secure the services of wives and concubines, or that the poor and needy of his acquaintance may be helped by him?
8. 'In the former case the offered bounty was not received, though it would have saved from death, and now the emolument is taken for the sake of beautiful mansions. The bounty that would have preserved from death was not received, and the emolument is taken to get the service of wives and concubines. The bounty that would have saved from death was not received, and the emolument is taken that one's poor and needy acquaintance may be helped by him. Was it then not possible likewise to decline this? This is a case of what is called-- "Losing the proper nature of one's mind."'
[11.11]
孟子曰：「仁，人心也義，人路也;。舍其路而弗由，放其心而不知求：哀哉！人有雞犬放，則知求之有放心，而不知求;。學問之道無他，求其放心而已矣。」
1. Mencius said, 'Benevolence is man's mind, and righteousness is man's path.
2. 'How lamentable is it to neglect the path and not pursue it, to lose this mind and not know to seek it again!
3. 'When men's fowls and dogs are lost, they know to seek for them again, but they lose their mind, and do not know to seek for it.
4. 'The great end of learning is nothing else but to seek for the lost mind.'
[11.12]
孟子曰：「今有無名之指，屈而不信，非疾痛害事也如有能信之者，則不遠秦;、楚之路，爲指之不若人也。指不若人，則知惡之，心不若人，則不知惡：此之謂不知類也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Here is a man whose fourth finger is bent and cannot be stretched out straight. It is not painful, nor does it incommode his business, and yet if there be any one who can make it straight, he will not think the way from Ch'in to Ch'û far to go to him; because his finger is not like the finger of other people.
2. 'When a man's finger is not like those of other people, he knows to feel dissatisfied, but if his mind be not like that of other people, he does not know to feel dissatisfaction. This is called-- "Ignorance of the relative importance of things."'
[11.13]
孟子曰：「拱把之桐梓，人茍欲生之，皆知所以養之者。至於身，而不知所以養之者。豈愛身不若桐梓哉？弗思甚也！」
Mencius said, 'Anybody who wishes to cultivate the t'ung or the tsze, which may be grasped with both hands, perhaps with one, knows by what means to nourish them. In the case of their own persons, men do not know by what means to nourish them. Is it to be supposed that their regard of their own persons is inferior to their regard for a t'ung or tsze? Their want of reflection is extreme.'
[11.14]
孟子曰：「人之於身也，兼所愛兼所愛，則兼所養也無尺寸之膚不愛焉，則無;;尺寸之膚不養也。所以考其善不善者，豈有 他哉，於己取之而已矣！禮有貴賤，有小大無以小害大，無以賤害貴養其小者爲小人，養其大者爲大人;;。今有場師，舍其梧檟，養其樲棘，則爲賤場師焉。養其 一指而失其肩背而不知也，則爲狼疾人也。飮食之人，則人賤之矣，爲其養小以失大也。飮食之人無有失也，則口腹豈適爲尺寸之膚哉！」
1. Mencius said, 'There is no part of himself which a man does not love, and as he loves all, so he must nourish all. There is not an inch of skin which he does not love, and so there is not an inch of skin which he will not nourish. For examining whether his way of nourishing be good or not, what other rule is there but this, that he determine by reflecting on himself where it should be applied?
2. 'Some parts of the body are noble, and some ignoble; some great, and some small. The great must not be injured for the small, nor the noble for the ignoble. He who nourishes the little belonging to him is a little man, and he who nourishes the great is a great man.
3. 'Here is a plantation-keeper, who neglects his wû and chiâ, and cultivates his sour jujube-trees;-- he is a poor plantation-keeper.
4. 'He who nourishes one of his fingers, neglecting his shoulders or his back, without knowing that he is doing so, is a man who resembles a hurried wolf.
5. 'A man who only eats and drinks is counted mean by others;-- because he nourishes what is little to the neglect of what is great.
6. 'If a man, fond of his eating and drinking, were not to neglect what is of more importance, how should his mouth and belly be considered as no more than an inch of skin?'
[11.15]
公都子問曰：「鈞是人也，或爲大人，或爲小人，何也？」孟子曰：「從其大體爲大人，從其小體爲小人。」
曰：「鈞是人也，或從其大體，或從其小體，何也？」曰：「耳目之官不思，而蔽於物物交物，則引之而已矣;。心之官則思，思則得之，不思則不得也。此天之所與我者，先立乎其大者，則其小者不能奪也：此爲大人而已矣。」
1. The disciple Kung-tû said, 'All are equally men, but some are great men, and some are little men;-- how is this?' Mencius replied, 'Those who follow that part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow that part which is little are little men.'
2. Kung-tû pursued, 'All are equally men, but some follow that part of themselves which is great, and some follow that part which is little;-- how is this?' Mencius answered, 'The senses of hearing and seeing do not think, and are obscured by external things. When one thing comes into contact with another, as a matter of course it leads it away. To the mind belongs the office of thinking. By thinking, it gets the right view of things; by neglecting to think, it fails to do this. These-- the senses and the mind-- are what Heaven has given to us. Let a man first stand fast in the supremacy of the nobler part of his constitution, and the inferior part will not be able to take it from him. It is simply this which makes the great man.'
[11.16]
孟子曰：「有天爵者，有人爵者。仁義忠信，樂善不倦：此天爵也。公卿大夫，此人爵也。古之人修其天爵，而人爵從之。今之人修其天爵，以要人爵旣得人爵，;而棄其天爵：則惑之甚者也，終亦必亡而已矣。」
1. Mencius said, 'There is a nobility of Heaven, and there is a nobility of man. Benevolence, righteousness, self-consecration, and fidelity, with unwearied joy in these virtues;-- these constitute the nobility of Heaven. To be a kung, a ch'ing, or a tâ-fû;-- this constitutes the nobility of man.
2. 'The men of antiquity cultivated their nobility of Heaven, and the nobility of man came to them in its train.
3. 'The men of the present day cultivate their nobility of Heaven in order to seek for the nobility of man, and when they have obtained that, they throw away the other:-- their delusion is extreme. The issue is simply this, that they must lose that nobility of man as well.'
[11.17]
孟子曰：「欲貴者，人之同心也。人人有貴於己者，弗思耳。人之所貴者，非良貴也。趙孟之所貴，趙孟能賤之。詩云：『旣醉以酒，旣飽以德。』言飽乎仁義也，所以不願人之膏粱之味也令聞廣譽施於身，所以不願人之文繡也;。」
1. Mencius said, 'To desire to be honoured is the common mind of men. And all men have in themselves that which is truly honourable. Only they do not think of it.
2. 'The honour which men confer is not good honour. Those whom Châo the Great ennobles he can make mean again.
3. 'It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"He has filled us with his wine,
He has satiated us with his goodness."
--"Satiated us with his goodness," that is, satiated us with benevolence and righteousness, and he who is so satiated, consequently, does not wish for the fat meat and fine millet of men. A good reputation and far-reaching praise fall to him, and he does not desire the elegant embroidered garments of men.'
[11.18]
孟子曰：「仁之勝不仁也，猶水勝火，今之爲仁者，猶以一杯水，救一車薪之火也不熄，則謂之水不勝火;。此又與於不仁之甚者也。亦終必亡而已矣！」
1. Mencius said, 'Benevolence subdues its opposite just as water subdues fire. Those, however, who now-a-days practise benevolence do it as if with one cup of water they could save a whole waggon-load of fuel which was on fire, and when the flames were not extinguished, were to say that water cannot subdue fire. This conduct, moreover, greatly encourages those who are not benevolent.
2. 'The final issue will simply be this-- the loss of that small amount of benevolence.'
[11.19]
孟子曰：「五穀者，種之美者也茍爲不熟，不如荑稗;。夫仁，亦在乎熟之而已矣。」
Mencius said, 'Of all seeds the best are the five kinds of grain, yet if they be not ripe, they are not equal to the t'î or the pâi. So, the value of benevolence depends entirely on its being brought to maturity.'
[11.20]
孟子曰：「羿之教人射，必志於彀，學者亦必志於彀。夫匠誨人，必以規矩，學者亦必以規矩。」
1. Mencius said, 'Î, in teaching men to shoot, made it a rule to draw the bow to the full, and his pupils also did the same.
2. 'A master-workman, in teaching others, uses the compass and square, and his pupils do the same.'
吿子下 Book VI, Part II: Kâo Tsze
[12.1]
任人有問屋廬子曰：「禮與食孰重？」
曰：「禮重。」
「色與禮孰重？」
「禮重。」
曰：「以禮食則飢而死，不以禮食則得食—必以禮乎？親迎則不得妻，不親迎則得妻—必親迎乎？」
屋廬子不能對明日之鄒，以吿孟子，孟子曰：;「於答是也何有！不揣其本而齊其末，方寸之木，可使高於岑樓。金重於羽 者，豈謂一鉤金與一輿羽之謂哉！取食之重者與禮之輕者而比之，奚翅食重！取色之重者與禮之輕者而比之，奚翅色重！往應之曰：『紾兄之臂而奪之食，則得食： 不紾則不得食：則將紾之乎？踰東家牆而摟其處子，則得妻不摟則不得妻：則將摟之乎？;』」
1. A man of Zan asked the disciple Wû-lû, saying, 'Is an observance of the rules of propriety in regard to eating, or eating merely, the more important?' The answer was, 'The observance of the rules of propriety is the more important.'
2. 'Is the gratifying the appetite of sex, or the doing so only according to the rules of propriety, the more important?' The answer again was, 'The observance of the rules of propriety in the matter is the more important.'
3. The man pursued, 'If the result of eating only according to the rules of propriety will be death by starvation, while by disregarding those rules we may get food, must they still be observed in such a case? If according to the rule that he shall go in person to meet his wife a man cannot get married, while by disregarding that rule he may get married, must he still observe the rule in such a case?'
4. Wû-lû was unable to reply to these questions, and the next day he went to Tsâu, and told them to Mencius. Mencius said, 'What difficulty is there in answering these inquiries?'
5. 'If you do not adjust them at their lower extremities, but only put their tops on a level, a piece of wood an inch square may be made to be higher than the pointed peak of a high building.
6. 'Gold is heavier than feathers;-- but does that saying have reference, on the one hand, to a single clasp of gold, and, on the other, to a waggon-load of feathers?
7. 'If you take a case where the eating is of the utmost importance and the observing the rules of propriety is of little importance, and compare the things together, why stop with saying merely that the eating is more important? So, taking the case where the gratifying the appetite of sex is of the utmost importance and the observing the rules of propriety is of little importance, why stop with merely saying that the gratifying the appetite is the more important?
8. 'Go and answer him thus, "If, by twisting your elder brother's arm, and snatching from him what he is eating, you can get food for yourself, while, if you do not do so, you will not get anything to eat, will you so twist his arm ? If by getting over your neighbour's wall, and dragging away his virgin daughter, you can get a wife, while if you do not do so, you will not be able to get a wife, will you so drag her away?"'
[12.2]
曹交問曰：「人皆可以爲堯、舜，有諸？」
孟子曰：「然。」
「交聞文王十尺，湯九尺今交九尺四寸以長，食粟而已;。如何則可？」
曰：「奚有於是？亦爲之而已矣！有人於此，力不能勝一匹雛，則爲無力人矣。今日擧百鈞，則爲有力人矣。然則擧烏獲之 任，是亦爲烏獲而已矣。夫人豈以不勝爲患哉，弗爲耳。徐行後長者謂之弟，疾行先長者謂之不弟。夫徐行者，豈人所不能哉？所不爲也！堯、舜之道，孝弟而已 矣。子服堯之服，誦堯之言，行堯之行：是堯而已矣。子服桀之服，誦桀之言，行桀之行：是桀而已矣。」
曰：「交得見於鄒君，可以假館，願留而受業於門。」
曰：「夫道若大路然，豈難知哉！人病不求耳。子歸而求之有餘師。」
1. Chiâo of Tsâo asked Mencius, saying, 'It is said, "All men may be Yâos and Shuns;"-- is it so?' Mencius replied, It is.'
2. Chiâo went on, 'I have heard that king Wan was ten cubits high, and T'ang nine. Now I am nine cubits four inches in height. But I can do nothing but eat my millet. What am I to do to realize that saying?'
3. Mencius answered him, 'What has this-- the question of size--- to do with the matter? It all lies simply in acting as such. Here is a man, whose strength was not equal to lift a duckling:-- he was then a man of no strength. But to-day he says, "I can lift 3,000 catties' weight," and he is a man of strength. And so, he who can lift the weight which Wû Hwo lifted is just another Wû Hwo. Why should a man make a want of ability the subject of his grief? It is only that he will not do the thing.
4. 'To walk slowly, keeping behind his elders, is to perform the part of a younger. To walk quickly and precede his elders, is to violate the duty of a younger brother. Now, is it what a man cannot do-- to walk slowly? It is what he does not do. The course of Yâo and Shun was simply that of filial piety and fraternal duty.
5. 'Wear the clothes of Yâo, repeat the words of Yâo, and do the actions of Yâo, and you will just be a Yâo. And, if you wear the clothes of Chieh, repeat the words of Chieh, and do the actions of Chieh, you will just be a Chieh.'
6. Chiâo said, 'I shall be having an interview with the prince of Tsâu, and can ask him to let me have a house to lodge in. I wish to remain here, and receive instruction at your gate.'
7. Mencius replied, 'The way of truth is like a great road. It is not difficult to know it. The evil is only that men will not seek it. Do you go home and search for it, and you will have abundance of teachers.'
[12.3]
公孫丑問曰：「高子曰：『小弁，小人之詩也。』」
孟子曰：「何以言之？」
曰：「怨。」 曰：「固哉高叟之爲詩也！有人於此，越人關弓而射之，則己談笑而道之無他，疏之也;。其兄關弓而射之，則己垂涕泣而道之無他，戚之也;。小弁之怨，親親也親親，仁也;。固矣夫高叟之爲詩也！」
曰：「凱風何以不怨？」
曰：「凱風，親之過小者也小弁，親之過大者也;。親之過大而不怨，是愈疏也;親之過小而怨，是不可磯也。愈疏，不孝也不可磯，亦不孝也;。孔子曰：『舜其至孝矣，五十而慕。』」
1. Kung-sun Ch'âu asked about an opinion of the scholar Kâo, saying, 'Kâo observed, "The Hsiâo P'ân is the ode of a little man."' Mencius asked, 'Why did he say so?' 'Because of the murmuring which it expresses,' was the reply.
2. Mencius answered, 'How stupid was that old Kâo in dealing with the ode! There is a man here, and a native of Yüeh bends his bow to shoot him. I will advise him not to do so, but speaking calmly and smilingly;-- for no other reason but that he is not related to me. But if my own brother be bending his bow to shoot the man, then I will advise him not to do so, weeping and crying the while;-- for no other reason than that he is related to me. The dissatisfaction expressed in the Hsiâo P'ân is the working of relative affection, and that affection shows benevolence. Stupid indeed was old Kâo's criticism on the ode.'
3. Ch'âu then said, 'How is it that there is no dissatisfaction expressed in the K'âi Fang?'
4. Mencius replied, 'The parent's fault referred to in the K'âi Fang is small; that referred to in the Hsiâo P'ân is great. Where the parent's fault was great, not to have murmured on account of it would have increased the want of natural affection. Where the parent's fault was small, to have murmured on account of it would have been to act like water which frets and foams about a stone that interrupts its course. To increase the want of natural affection would have been unfilial, and to fret and foam in such a manner would also have been unfilial.
5 'Confucius said, "Shun was indeed perfectly filial! And yet, when he was fifty, he was full of longing desire about his parents."'
[12.4]
宋牼將之楚，孟子遇於石丘。
曰：「先生將何之？」
曰：「吾聞秦、楚搆兵我將見楚王，說而罷之楚王不悅，我將見秦王，說而罷;;之：二王我將有所遇焉。」
曰：「軻也請無問其詳，願聞其指。說之將何如？」
曰：「我將言其不利也。」
曰：「先生之志則大矣，先生之號則不可。先生以利說秦、楚之王，秦、楚之王悅於利，以罷三軍之師，是三軍之士樂罷而悅 於利也。爲人臣者懷利以事其君，爲人子者懷利以事其父，爲人弟者懷利以事其兄：是君臣父子兄弟，終去仁義懷利以相接。然而不亡者，未之有也！先生以仁義說 秦、楚之王，秦、楚之王悅於仁義，而罷三軍之師，是三軍之士樂罷而悅於仁義也。爲人臣者懷仁義以事其君，爲人子者懷仁義以事其父，爲人弟者懷仁義以事其兄 是君臣父子兄弟，去利懷仁義以相接;也。然而不王者，未之有也！何必曰利？」
1. Sung K'ang being about to go to Ch'û, Mencius met him in Shih-ch'iû.
2. 'Master, where are you going?' asked Mencius.
3. K'ang replied, 'I have heard that Ch'in and Ch'û are fighting together, and I am going to see the king of Ch'û and persuade him to cease hostilities. If he shall not be pleased with my advice, I shall go to see the king of Ch'in, and persuade him in the same way. Of the two kings I shall surely find that I can succeed with one of them.'
4. Mencius said, 'I will not venture to ask about the particulars, but I should like to hear the scope of your plan. What course will you take to try to persuade them?' K'ang answered, 'I will tell them how unprofitable their course is to them.' 'Master,' said Mencius, 'your aim is great, but your argument is not good.
5. 'If you, starting from the point of profit, offer your persuasive counsels to the kings of Ch'in and Ch'û, and if those kings are pleased with the consideration of profit so as to stop the movements of their armies, then all belonging to those armies will rejoice in the cessation of war, and find their pleasure in the pursuit of profit. Ministers will serve their sovereign for the profit of which they cherish the thought; sons will serve their fathers, and younger brothers will serve their elder brothers, from the same consideration:-- and the issue will be, that, abandoning benevolence and righteousness, sovereign and minister, father and son, younger brother and elder, will carry on all their intercourse with this thought of profit cherished in their breasts. But never has there been such a state of society, without ruin being the result of it.
6. 'If you, starting from the ground of benevolence and righteousness, offer your counsels to the kings of Ch'in and Ch'û, and if those kings are pleased with the consideration of benevolence and righteousness so as to stop the operations of their armies, then all belonging to those armies will rejoice in the stopping from war, and find their pleasure in benevolence and righteousness. Ministers will serve their sovereign, cherishing the principles of benevolence and righteousness; sons will serve their fathers, and younger brothers will serve their elder brothers, in the same way:-- and so, sovereign and minister, father and son, elder brother and younger, abandoning the thought of profit, will cherish the principles of benevolence and righteousness, and carry on all their intercourse upon them. But never has there been such a state of society, without the State where it prevailed rising to the royal sway. Why must you use that word "profit."'
[12.5]
孟子居鄒季任爲任處守，以幣交，受之而不報;。處於平陸，儲子爲相以幣交，;受之而不報。他日，由鄒之任，見季子由平陸之齊，不見儲子;。屋廬子喜曰：「連得間矣！」
問曰：「夫子之任見季子之齊不見儲子，爲其爲相與？;」
曰：「非也。書曰：『享多儀，儀不及物曰不享，惟不役志于享。』
「爲其不成享也。」
屋廬子悅。或問之，屋廬子曰：「季子不得之鄒，儲子得之平陸。」
1. When Mencius was residing in Tsâu, the younger brother of the chief of Zan, who was guardian of Zan at the time, paid his respects to him by a present of silks, which Mencius received, not going to acknowledge it. When he was sojourning in P'ing-lû, Ch'û, who was prime minister of the State, sent him a similar present, which he received in the same way.
2. Subsequently, going from Tsâu to Zan, he visited the guardian; but when he went from Ping-lû to the capital of Ch'î, he did not visit the minister Ch'û. The disciple Wû-lû was glad, and said, 'I have got an opportunity to obtain some instruction.'
3. He asked accordingly, 'Master, when you went to Zan, you visited the chief's brother; and when you went to Ch'î, you did not visit Ch'û. Was it not because he is only the minister?'
4. Mencius replied, 'No. It is said in the Book of History, "In presenting an offering to a superior, most depends on the demonstrations of respect. If those demonstrations are not equal to the things offeredred, we say there is no offering, that is, there is no act of the will presenting the offering."
5. 'This is because the things so offered do not constitute an offering to a superior.'
6. Wû-lû was pleased, and when some one asked him what Mencius meant, he said, 'The younger of Zan could not go to Tsâu, but the minister Ch'û might have gone to P'ing-lû.'
[12.6]
淳于髠曰：「先名實者，爲人也後名實者，自爲也;。夫子在三卿之中，名實未加於上下而去之，仁者固如此乎？」
孟子曰：「居下位，不以賢事不肖者，伯夷也。五就湯，五就桀者，伊尹也。不惡汙君，不辭小官者，柳下惠也。三子者不同道，其趨一也。一者何也？曰：仁也。君子亦仁而已矣，何必同！」
曰：「魯繆公之時，公儀子爲政，子柳子思爲臣魯之削也滋甚，若是乎賢者之無;益於國也！」
曰：「虞不用百里奚而亡，秦穆公用之而霸。不用賢則亡，削何可得與！」
曰：「昔者王豹處於淇，而河西善謳，緜駒處於高唐，而齊右善歌華周;、杞梁之妻善哭其夫，而變國俗，有諸內，必形諸外。爲其事而無其功者，髠未嘗覩之也。是故無賢者也，有則髠必識之。」
曰：「孔子爲魯司寇，不用從而祭，燔肉不至不稅冕而行;;。不知者以爲爲肉也，其知者以爲爲無禮也。乃孔子則欲以微罪行，不欲爲茍去。君子之所爲，衆人固不識也。」
1. Shun-yü K'wan said, 'He who makes fame and meritorious services his first objects, acts with a regard to others. He who makes them only secondary objects, acts with a regard to himself. You, master, were ranked among the three chief ministers of the State, but before your fame and services had reached either to the prince or the people, you have left your place. Is this indeed the way of the benevolent?'
2. Mencius replied, 'There was Po'î;-- he abode in an inferior situation, and would not, with his virtue, serve a degenerate prince. There was Î Yin;-- he five times went to T'ang, and five times went to Chieh. There was Hûi of Liû-hsiâ;-- he did not disdain to serve a vile prince, nor did he decline a small office. The courses pursued by those three worthies were different, but their aim was one. And what was their one aim? We must answer-- "To be perfectly virtuous." And so it is simply after this that superior men strive. Why must they all pursue the same course?'
3. K'wan pursued, 'In the time of the duke Mû of Lû, the government was in the hands of Kung-î, while Tsze-liû and Tsze-sze were ministers. And yet, the dismemberment of Lû then increased exceedingly. Such was the case, a specimen how your men of virtue are of no advantage to a kingdom!'
4. Mencius said, 'The prince of Yü did not use Pâi-lî Hsi, and thereby lost his State. The duke Mû of Chin used him, and became chief of all the princes. Ruin is the consequence of not employing men of virtue and talents;-- how can it rest with dismemberment merely?'
5. K'wan urged again, 'Formerly, when Wang P'âo dwelt on the Ch'î, the people on the west of the Yellow River all became skilful at singing in his abrupt manner. When Mien Ch'ü lived in Kâo-t'ang, the people in the parts of Ch'î on the west became skilful at singing in his prolonged manner. The wives of Hwa Châu and Ch'î Liang bewailed their husbands so skilfully, that they changed the manners of the State. When there is the gift within, it manifests itself without. I have never seen the man who could do the deeds of a worthy, and did not realize the work of one. Therefore there are now no men of talents and virtue. If there were, I should know them.'
6. Mencius answered, 'When Confucius was chief minister of Justice in Lû, the prince came not to follow his counsels. Soon after there was the solstitial sacrifice, and when a part of the flesh presented in sacrifice was not sent to him, he went away even without taking off his cap of ceremony. Those who did not know him supposed it was on account of the flesh. Those who knew him supposed that it was on account of the neglect of the usual ceremony. The fact was, that Confucius wanted to go away on occasion of some small offence, not wishing to do so without some apparent cause. All men cannot be expected to understand the conduct of a superior man.'
[12.7]
孟子曰：「五霸者，三王之罪人也今之諸侯，五霸之罪人也今之大夫，今之諸;;侯之罪人也。天子適諸侯曰巡狩，諸侯朝於 天子曰述職。春省耕而補不足，秋省歛而助不給。入其疆：土地辟，田野治養老尊賢，俊傑在位則有慶，慶以地;;。入其疆：土地荒蕪，遺老失賢，掊克在位則有 讓;。一不朝，則貶其爵再不朝，則;削其地三不朝，則六師移之;。是故，天子討而不伐，諸侯伐而不討。五霸者，摟諸侯以伐諸侯者也。故曰：五霸者，三王之 罪人也。五霸，桓公爲盛。葵丘之會，諸侯束牲載書而不歃血。初命曰：『誅不孝，無易樹子，無以妾爲妻。』再命曰：『尊賢育才，以彰有德。』三命曰：『敬老 慈幼，無忘賓旅。』四命曰：『士無世官，官事無攝，取士必得，無專殺大夫。』五命曰：『無曲防，無遏糴，無有封而不吿。』曰：『凡我同盟之人，旣盟之後， 言歸于好。』今之諸侯，皆犯此五禁。故曰：今之諸侯，五霸之罪人也。長君之惡其罪小，逢君之惡其罪大。今之大夫，皆逢君之惡。故曰：今之大夫，今之諸侯之 罪人也。」
1. Mencius said, 'The five chiefs of the princes were sinners against the three kings. The princes of the present day are sinners against the five chiefs. The Great officers of the present day are sinners against the princes.
2. 'The sovereign visited the princes, which was called "A tour of Inspection." The princes attended at the court of the sovereign, which was called "Giving a report of office." It was a custom in the spring to examine the ploughing, and supply any deficiency of seed; and in autumn to examine the reaping, and assist where there was a deficiency of the crop. When the sovereign entered the boundaries of a State, if the new ground was being reclaimed, and the old fields well cultivated; if the old were nourished and the worthy honoured; and if men of distinguished talents were placed in office: then the prince was rewarded,-- rewarded with an addition to his territory. On the other hand, if, on entering a State, the ground was found left wild or overrun with weeds; if the old were neglected and the worthy unhonoured; and if the offices were filled with hard taxgatherers: then the prince was reprimanded. If a prince once omitted his attendance at court, he was punished by degradation of rank; if he did so a second time, be was deprived of a portion of his territory; if he did so a third time, the royal forces were set in motion, and he was removed from his government. Thus the sovereign commanded the punishment, but did not himself inflict it, while the princes inflicted the punishment, but did not command it. The five chiefs, however, dragged the princes to punish other princes, and hence I say that they were sinners against the three kings.
3. 'Of the five chiefs the most powerful was the duke Hwan. At the assembly of the princes in K'wei-ch'iû, he bound the victim and placed the writing upon it, but did not slay it to smear their mouths with the blood. The first injunction in their agreement was,-- "Slay the unfilial; change not the son who has been appointed heir; exalt not a concubine to be the wife." The second was,-- "Honour the worthy, and maintain the talented, to give distinction to the virtuous." The third was,-- "Respect the old, and be kind to the young. Be not forgetful of strangers and travellers." The fourth was, "Let not offices be hereditary, nor let officers be pluralists. In the selection of officers let the object be to get the proper men. Let not a ruler take it on himself to put to death a Great officer." The fifth was,-- "Follow no crooked policy in making embankments. Impose no restrictions on the sale of grain. Let there be no promotions without first announcing them to the sovereign." It was then said, "All we who have united in this agreement shall hereafter maintain amicable relations." The princes of the present day all violate these five prohibitions, and therefore I say that the princes of the present day are sinners against the five chiefs.
4. 'The crime of him who connives at, and aids, the wickedness of his prince is small, but the crime of him who anticipates and excites that wickedness is great. The officers of the present day all go to meet their sovereigns' wickedness, and therefore I say that the Great officers of the present day are sinners against the princes.'
[12.8]
魯欲使愼子爲將軍。
孟子曰：「不教民而用之。謂之殃民殃民者不容於堯;、舜之世。一戰勝齊，遂有南陽。——然且不可。」
愼子勃然不悅曰：「此則滑釐所不識也！」
曰：「吾明吿子。天子之地方千里，不千里不足以待諸侯諸侯之地方百里，不百;里不足以守宗廟之曲籍。周公之封於魯，爲 方百里也，地非不足而儉於百里太公;之封於齊也，亦爲方百里也，地非不足也而儉於百里。今魯方百里者五子以爲有;王者作，則魯在所損乎？在所益乎？徒取諸 彼以與此，然且仁者不爲，況於殺人以求之乎？君子之事君也，務引其君以當道，志於仁而已。」
1. The prince of Lû wanted to make the minister Shan commander of his army.
2. Mencius said, 'To employ an uninstructed people in war may be said to be destroying the people. A destroyer of the people would not have been tolerated in the times of Yâo and Shun.
3. 'Though by a single battle you should subdue Ch'î, and get possession of Nan-yang, the thing ought not to be done.'
4. Shan changed countenance, and said in displeasure, 'This is what I, Kû-Lî, do not understand.'
5. Mencius said, 'I will lay the case plainly before you. The territory appropriated to the sovereign is 1,000 lî square. Without a thousand lî, he would not have sufficient for his entertainment of the princes. The territory appropriated to a Hâu is 100 lî square. Without 100 lî, he would not have sufficient wherewith to observe the statutes kept in his ancestral temple.
6. 'When Châu-kung was invested with the principalily of Lû, it was a hundred lî square. The territory was indeed enough, but it was not more than 100 lî. When T'âi-kung was invested with the principality of Ch'î, it was 100 lî square. The territory was indeed enough, but it was not more than 100 lî.
7. 'Now Lû is five times 100 lî square. If a true royal ruler were to arise, whether do you think that Lû would be diminished or increased by him?
8. 'If it were merely taking the place from the one State to give it to the other, a benevolent man would not do it;-- how much less will he do so, when the end is to be sought by the slaughter of men!
9. 'The way in which a superior man serves his prince contemplates simply the leading him in the right path, and directing his mind to benevolence.'
[12.9]
孟子曰：「今之事君者，曰：『我能爲君辟土地，充府庫。』今之所謂良臣，古之所謂民賊也。君不鄉道，不志於仁，而求富 之，是富桀也。『我能爲君約與國，戰必克。』今之所謂良臣，古之所位民賊也。君不鄉道，不志於仁而求爲之強戰，;是輔桀也。由今之道，無變今之俗，雖與之 天下，不能一朝居也！」
1. Mencius said, 'Those who now-a-days serve their sovereigns say, "We can for our sovereign enlarge the limits of the cultivated ground, and fill his treasuries and arsenals." Such persons are now-a-days called "Good ministers," but anciently they were called "Robbers of the people." If a sovereign follows not the right way, nor has his mind bent on benevolence, to seek to enrich him is to enrich a Chieh.
2. 'Or they will say, "We can for our sovereign form alliances with other States, so that our battles must be successful." Such persons are now-a-days called "Good ministers," but anciently they were called "Robbers of the people." If a sovereign follows not the right way, nor has his mind directed to benevolence, to seek to enrich him is to enrich a Chieh.
3. 'Although a prince, pursuing the path of the present day, and not changing its practices, were to have the throne given to him, he could not retain it for a single morning.'
[12.10]
白圭曰：「君欲二十而取一，何如？」
孟子曰：「子之道，貉道也。萬室之國，一人陶，則可乎？」曰：「不可，器不足用也。」
曰：「夫貉，五穀不生，惟黍生之無城郭宮室宗廟祭祀之禮，無諸侯幣帛饗飧，;無百官有司，故二十取一而足也。今居中國，去人倫，無君子，如之何其可也！陶以寡，且不可以爲國，況無君子乎！欲輕之於堯、舜之道者，大貉、小貉也欲重;之於堯、舜之道者，大桀、小桀也。」
1. Pâi Kwei said, 'I want to take a twentieth of the produce only as the tax. What do you think of it?'
2. Mencius said, 'Your way would be that of the Mo.
3. 'In a country of ten thousand families, would it do to have only one potter?' Kwei replied, 'No. The vessels would not be enough to use.'
4. Mencius went on, 'In Mo all the five kinds of grain are not grown; it only produces the millet. There are no fortified cities, no edifices, no ancestral temples, no ceremonies of sacrifice; there are no princes requiring presents and entertainments; there is no system of officers with their various subordinates. On these accounts a tax of one-twentieth of the produce is sufficient there.
5. 'But now it is the Middle Kingdom that we live in. To banish the relationships of men, and have no superior men;-- how can such a state of things be thought of?
6. 'With but few potters a kingdom cannot subsist;-- how much less can it subsist without men of a higher rank than others?
7. 'If we wish to make the taxation lighter than the system of Yâo and Shun, we shall just have a great Mo and a small Mo. If we wish to make it heavier, we shall just have the great Chieh and the small Chieh.'
[12.11]
白圭曰：「丹之治水也愈於禹。」
孟子曰：「子過矣！禹之治水，水之道也。是故，禹以四海爲壑。今吾子以鄰國爲壑。 水逆行，謂之洚水。洚水者，洪水也。仁人之所惡也。吾子過矣！」
1. Pâi Kwei said, 'My management of the waters is superior to that of Yü.'
2. Mencius replied, 'You are wrong, Sir. Yü's regulation of the waters was according to the laws of water.
3. 'He therefore made the four seas their receptacle, while you make the neighbouring States their receptacle.
4. 'Water flowing out of its channels is called an inundation. Inundating waters are a vast waste of water, and what a benevolent man detests. You are wrong, my good Sir.'
[12.12]
孟子曰：「君子不亮，惡乎執！」
Mencius said, 'If a scholar have not faith, how shall he take a firm hold of things?'
[12.13]
魯欲使樂正子爲政。孟子曰：「吾聞之，喜而不寐。」
公孫丑曰：「樂正子強乎？」曰：「否。」
「有知慮乎？」曰：「否。」
「多聞識乎？」曰：「否。」
「然則奚爲喜而不寐？」
曰：「其爲人也好喜。」
「好善足乎？」
曰：「好善優於天下，而況魯國乎！夫茍好善，則四海之內，皆將輕千里而來吿之以善。夫茍不好善，則人將曰：『訑訑，「豫旣已知之矣！」』訑訑之聲音顏色，距人於千里之外士止於千里之外，則讒諂面諛之人至矣，與讒諂面諛之人居，國;欲治可得乎？」
1. The prince of Lû wanting to commit the administration of his government to the disciple Yo-chang, Mencius said, 'When I heard of it, I was so glad that I could not sleep.'
2. Kung-sun Ch'âu asked, 'Is Yo-chang a man of vigour?' and was answered, 'No.' 'Is he wise in council?' 'No.' 'Is he possessed of much information?' 'No.'
3. 'What then made you so glad that you could not sleep?'
4. 'He is a man who loves what is good.'
5. 'Is the love of what is good sufficient?'
6. 'The love of what is good is more than a sufficient qualification for the government of the kingdom;-- how much more is it so for the State of Lû!
7. 'If a minister love what is good, all within the four seas will count 1000 lî but a small distance, and will come and lay their good thoughts before him.
8. If he do not love what is good, men will say, "How self-conceited he looks? He is sayinq to himself, I know it." The language and looks of that self-conceit will keep men off at a distance of 1,000 lî. When good men stop 1,000 lî off, calumniators, flatterers, and sycophants will make their appearance. When a minister lives among calumniators, flatterers, and sycophants, though he may wish the State to be well governed, is it possible for it to be so?'
[12.14]
陳子曰：「古之君子，何如則仕？」
孟子曰：「所就三，所去三。迎之致敬以有禮，言將行其言也，則就之。禮貌未衰，言弗行也，則去之。其次，雖未行其言 也，迎之致敬以有禮，則就之。禮貌衰，則去之。其下，朝不食，夕不食，飢餓不能出門戶君聞之曰：;『吾大者不能行其道，又不能從其言也使飢餓於我土地，吾 恥之;。』周之亦可受也。免死而已矣！」
1. The disciple Ch'an said, 'What were the principles on which superior men of old took office?' Mencius replied, 'There were three cases in which they accepted office, and three in which they left it.
2. 'If received with the utmost respect and all polite observances, and they could say to themselves that the prince would carry their words into practice, then they took office with him. Afterwards, although there might be no remission in the polite demeanour of the prince, if their words were not carried into practice, they would leave him.
3. 'The second case was that in which, though the prince could not be expected at once to carry their words into practice, yet being received by him with the utmost respect, they took office with him. But afterwards, if there was a remission in his polite demeanour, they would leave him.
4. 'The last case was that of the superior man who had nothing to eat, either morning or evening, and was so famished that he could not move out of his door. If the prince, on hearing of his state, said, "I must fail in the great point,-- that of carrying his doctrines into practice, neither am I able to follow his words, but I am ashamed to allow him to die of want in my country;" the assistance offered in such a case might be received, but not beyond what was sufficient to avert death.'
[12.15]
孟子曰：「舜發於畎畝之中，傳說擧於版築之間，膠鬲擧於魚鹽之中，管夷吾擧於士，孫叔敖擧於海，百里奚擧於市。故天將 降大任於是人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其禮膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所爲，所以動心忍性，曾益其所不能。人恆過，然後能改困於心，衡於慮，而後作微於 色，發於聲，而後喻;;。入則無法家拂士，出則無敵國外患者，國恆亡。然後知生於憂患，而死於安樂也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Shun rose from among the channelled fields. Fû Yüeh was called to office from the midst of his building frames; Chiâo-ko from his fish and salt; Kwan Î-wû from the hands of his gaoler; Sun-shû Âo from his hiding by the sea-shore; and Pâi-lî Hsî from the market-place.
2. 'Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil. It exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to extreme poverty. It confounds his undertakings. By all these methods it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies his incompetencies.
3. 'Men for the most part err, and are afterwards able to reform. They are distressed in mind and perplexed in their thoughts, and then they arise to vigorous reformation. When things have been evidenced in men's looks, and set forth in their words, then they understand them.
4. 'If a prince have not about his court families attached to the laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there are not hostile States or other external calamities, his kingdom will generally come to ruin.
5. 'From these things we see how life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.'
[12.16]
孟子曰：「教亦多術矣豫不屑之教誨也者，是亦教誨之而已矣;。」
Mencius said, 'There are many arts in teaching. I refuse, as inconsistent with my character, to teach a man, but I am only thereby still teaching him.'
孟子盡心上 Book VII, Part I: Tsin Sin
[13.1]
孟子曰﹕「盡其心者，知其性也﹔知其性，則知天矣。存其心，養其性，所以事天也。殀壽不貳，修身以俟之，所以立命也。」
1. Mencius said, 'He who has exhausted all his mental constitution knows his nature. Knowing his nature, he knows Heaven.
2. 'To preserve one's mental constitution, and nourish one's nature, is the way to serve Heaven.
3. 'When neither a premature death nor long life causes a man any double-mindedness, but he waits in the cultivation of his personal character for whatever issue;-- this is the way in which he establishes his Heaven-ordained being.'
[13.2]
孟子曰﹕「莫非命也，順受其正。是故，知命者，不立乎岩牆之下。盡其道而死者，正命也。桎梏死者，非正命也。」
1. Mencius said, 'There is an appointment for everything. A man should receive submissively what may be correctly ascribed thereto.
2. 'Therefore, he who has the true idea of what is Heaven's appointment will not stand beneath a precipitous wall.
3. 'Death sustained in the discharge of one's duties may correctly be ascribed to the appointment of Heaven.
4. 'Death under handcuffs and fetters cannot correctly be so ascribed.'
[13.3]
孟子曰﹕「求則得之。舍則失之﹔是求有益於得也，求在我者也。求之有道，得之有命﹔是求無益於得也，求在外者也。」
1. Mencius said, 'When we get by our seeking and lose by our neglecting;-- in that case seeking is of use to getting, and the things sought for are those which are in ourselves.
2. 'When the seeking is according to the proper course, and the getting is only as appointed;-- in that case the seeking is of no use to getting, and the things sought are without ourselves.'
[13.4]
孟子曰﹕「萬物皆備於我矣。反身而誠，樂莫大焉。彊恕而行，求仁莫近焉。」
1. Mencius said, 'All things are already complete in us.
2. 'There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.
3. 'If one acts with a vigorous effort at the law of reciprocity, when he seeks for the realization of perfect virtue, nothing can be closer than his approximation to it.'
[13.5]
孟子曰﹕「行之而不著焉，習矣而不察焉，終身由之而不知其道者衆也。」
Mencius said, 'To act without understanding, and to do so habitually without examination, pursuing the proper path all the life without knowing its nature;-- this is the way of multitudes.'
[13.6]
孟子曰﹕「人不可以無恥﹔無恥之恥，無恥矣。」
Mencius said, 'A man may not be without shame. When one is ashamed of having been without shame, he will afterwards not have occasion to be ashamed.'
[13.7]
孟子曰﹕「恥之於人大矣。爲機變之巧者，無所用恥焉。不恥不若人，何若人有！」
1. Mencius said, 'The sense of shame is to a man of great importance.
2. 'Those who form contrivances and versatile schemes distinguished for their artfulness, do not allow their sense of shame to come into action.
3. 'When one differs from other men in not having this sense of shame, what will he have in common with them?'
[13.8]
孟子曰﹕「古之賢王，好善而忘勢，古之賢士，何獨不然！樂其道而忘人之勢。故王公不致敬盡禮，則不得亟見之。見且猶不得亟，而況得而臣之乎？」
Mencius said, 'The able and virtuous monarchs of antiquity loved virtue and forgot their power. And shall an exception be made of the able and virtuous scholars of antiquity, that they did not do the same? They delighted in their own principles, and were oblivious of the power of princes. Therefore, if kings and dukes did not show the utmost respect, and observe all forms of ceremony, they were not permitted to come frequently and visit them. If they thus found it not in their power to pay them frequent visits, how much less could they get to employ them as ministers?'
[13.9]
孟子謂宋句踐曰﹕「子好游乎？吾語子游。人知之亦囂囂，人不知亦囂囂。」曰﹕「何如斯可以囂囂矣？」曰﹕「尊德樂義， 則可以囂囂矣。故士窮不失義，達不離道。窮不失義，故士得已焉﹔達不離道，故民不失望焉。古之人得志，澤加於民﹔不得志，□身見於世。窮則獨善其身，達則 兼善天下。」
1. Mencius said to Sung Kâu-ch'ien, 'Are you fond, Sir, of travelling to the different courts? I will tell you about such travelling.
2. 'If a prince acknowledge you and follow your counsels, be perfectly satisfied. If no one do so, be the same.'
3. Kâu-ch'ien said, 'What is to be done to secure this perfect satisfaction?' Mencius replied, 'Honour virtue and delight in righteousness, and so you may always be perfectly satisfied.
4. 'Therefore, a scholar, though poor, does not let go his righteousness; though prosperous, he does not leave his own path.
5. 'Poor and not letting righteousness go;-- it is thus that the scholar holds possession of himself. Prosperous and not leaving the proper path;-- it is thus that the expectations of the people from him are not disappointed.
6. 'When the men of antiquity realized their wishes, benefits were conferred by them on the people. If they did not realize their wishes, they cultivated their personal character, and became illustrious in the world. If poor, they attended to their own virtue in solitude; if advanced to dignity, they made the whole kingdom virtuous as well.'
[13.10]
孟子曰﹕「待文王而後興者，凡民也。若夫豪杰之士，雖無文王猶興。」
Mencius said, 'The mass of men wait for a king Wan, and then they will receive a rousing impulse. Scholars distinguished from the mass, without a king Wan, rouse themselves.'
[13.11]
孟子曰﹕「附之以韓、魏之家，如其自視□然，則過人遠矣。」
Mencius said, 'Add to a man the families of Han and Wei. If he then look upon himself without being elated, he is far beyond the mass of men.'
[13.12]
孟子曰﹕「以佚道使民，雖勞不怨﹔以生道殺民，雖死不怨殺者。」
Mencius said, 'Let the people be employed in the way which is intended to secure their ease, and though they be toiled, they will not murmur. Let them be put to death in the way which is intended to preserve their lives, and though they die, they will not murmur at him who puts them to death.'
[13.13]
孟子曰﹕「霸者之民，驩虞如也！王者之民，皞皞如也。殺之而不怨，利之而不庸﹔民日遷善而不知爲之者。夫君子所過者化，所存者神﹔上下與天地同流，豈曰小補之哉！」
1. Mencius said, 'Under a chief, leading all the princes, the people look brisk and cheerful. Under a true sovereign, they have an air of deep contentment.
2. 'Though he slay them, they do not murmur. When he benefits them, they do not think of his merit. From day to day they make progress towards what is good, without knowing who makes them do so.
3. 'Wherever the superior man passes through, transformation follows; wherever he abides, his influence is of a spiritual nature. It flows abroad, above and beneath, like that of Heaven and Earth. How can it be said that he mends society but in a small way!'
[13.14]
孟子曰﹕「仁言不如仁聲之入人深也。善政不如善教之得民也。善政民畏之，善教民愛之﹔善政得民財，善教得民心。」
1. Mencius said, 'Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness.
2. 'Good government does not lay hold of the people so much as good instructions.
3. 'Good government is feared by the people, while good instructions are loved by them. Good government gets the people's wealth, while good instructions get their hearts.'
[13.15]
孟子曰﹕「人之所不學而能者，其良能也﹔所不慮而知者，其良知也。孩提之童，無不知愛其親也﹔及其長也，無不知敬其兄也。親親，仁也﹔敬長，義也。無他，達之天下也。」
1. Mencius said, 'The ability possessed by men without having been acquired by learning is intuitive ability, and the knowledge possessed by them without the exercise of thought is their intuitive knowledge.
2. 'Children carried in the arms all know to love their parents, and when they are grown a little, they all know to love their elder brothers.
3. 'Filial affection for parents is the working of benevolence. Respect for elders is the working of righteousness. There is no other reason for those feelings;-- they belong to all under heaven.'
[13.16]
孟子曰﹕「舜之居深山之中，與木石居，與鹿豕游，其所以異於深山之野人者几希。及其聞一善言，見一善行，若決江河，沛然莫之能御也。」
Mencius said, 'When Shun was living amid the deep retired mountains, dwelling with the trees and rocks, and wandering among the deer and swine, the difference between him and the rude inhabitants of those remote hills appeared very small. But when he heard a single good word, or saw a single good action, he was like a stream or a river bursting its banks, and flowing out in an irresistible flood.'
[13.17]
孟子曰﹕「無爲其所不爲，無欲其所不欲，如此而已矣。」
Mencius said, 'Let a man not do what his own sense of righteousness tells him not to do, and let him not desire what his sense of righteousness tells him not to desire;-- to act thus is all he has to do.'
[13.18]
孟子曰﹕「人之有德慧朮知者、恆存乎□疾。獨孤臣孽子，其操心也危，其慮患也深，故達。」
1. Mencius said, 'Men who are possessed of intelligent virtue and prudence in affairs will generally be found to have been in sickness and troubles.
2. 'They are the friendless minister and concubine's son, who keep their hearts under a sense of peril, and use deep precautions against calamity. On this account they become distinguished for their intelligence.'
[13.19]
孟子曰﹕「有事君人者，事是君則爲容悅者也。有安社稷臣者，以安社稷爲悅者也。有天民者，達可行於天下而後行之者也。有大人者，正己而物正者也。」
1. Mencius said, 'There are persons who serve the prince;-- they serve the prince, that is, for the sake of his countenance and favour.
2. 'There are ministers who seek the tranquillity of the State, and find their pleasure in securing that tranquillity.
3. 'There are those who are the people of Heaven. They, judging that, if they were in office, they could carry out their principles, throughout the kingdom, proceed so to carry them out.
4. 'There are those who are great men. They rectify themselves and others are rectified.'
[13.20]
孟子曰﹕「君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。父母俱存，兄弟無故﹕一樂也。仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人﹕二樂也。得天下英才而教育之﹕三樂也。君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。」
1. Mencius said, 'The superior man has three things in which he delights, and to be ruler over the kingdom is not one of them.
2. 'That his father and mother are both alive, and that the condition of his brothers affords no cause for anxiety;-- this is one delight.
3. 'That, when looking up, he has no occasion for shame before Heaven, and, below, he has no occasion to blush before men;-- this is a second delight.
4. 'That he can get from the whole kingdom the most talented individuals, and teach and nourish them;-- this is the third delight.
5. 'The superior man has three things in which he delights, and to be ruler over the kingdom is not one of them.'
[13.21]
孟子曰﹕「廣土衆民，君子欲之﹔所樂不存焉。中天下而立，定四海之民，君子樂之，所性不存焉。君子所性，雖大行不加焉，雖窮居不損焉，分定故也。君子所性，仁義禮智根於心﹔其生色也，□然見於面，盎於背，施於四體，四體不言而喻。」
1. Mencius said, 'Wide territory and a numerous people are desired by the superior man, but what he delights in is not here.
2. 'To stand in the centre of the kingdom, and tranquillize the people within the four seas;-- the superior man delights in this, but the highest enjoyment of his nature is not here.
3. What belongs by his nature to the superior man cannot be increased by the largeness of his sphere of action, nor diminished by his dwelling in poverty and retirement;-- for this reason that it is determinately apportioned to him by Heaven.
4. 'What belongs by his nature to the superior man are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge. These are rooted in his heart; their growth and manifestation are a mild harmony appearing in the countenance, a rich fullness in the back, and the character imparted to the four limbs. Those limbs understand to arrange themselves, without being told.'
[13.22]
孟子曰﹕「伯夷辟紂，居北海之濱﹔聞文王作興，曰﹕乎來！吾聞西伯善養老
者。』大公辟紂，居東海之濱﹔聞文王作興，曰﹕乎來！吾聞西伯善養老者。』天下有善養老，則仁人以爲己歸矣。五畝之 宅，樹牆下以桑，匹婦蠶之﹔則老者足以衣帛矣。五母雞，二母彘，無失其時﹔老者足以無失肉矣。百畝之田，匹夫耕之﹔八口之家，可以無飢矣。所謂西伯善養老 者，制其田里，教之樹畜﹔導其妻子，使養其老。五十非帛不□，七十非肉不飽﹔不□不飽，謂之凍餒。文王之民，無凍餒之老者，此之謂也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Po-î, that he might avoid Châu, was dwelling on the coast of the northern sea when he heard of the rise of king Wan. He roused himself and said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old." T'âi-kung, to avoid Châu, was dwelling on the coast of the eastern sea. When he heard of the rise of king Wan, he said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief if the West knows well how to nourish the old." If there were a prince in the kingdom, who knew well how to nourish the old, all men of virtue would feel that he was the proper object for them to gather to.
2. 'Around the homestead with its five mâu, the space beneath the walls was planted with mulberry trees, with which the women nourished silkworms, and thus the old were able to have silk to wear. Each family had five brood hens and two brood sows, which were kept to their breeding seasons, and thus the old were able to have flesh to eat. The husbandmen cultivated their farms of 100 mâu, and thus their families of eight mouths were secured against want.
3. 'The expression, "The chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old," refers to his regulation of the fields and dwellings, his teaching them to plant the mulberry and nourish those animals, and his instructing the wives and children, so as to make them nourish their aged. At fifty, warmth cannot be maintained without silks, and at seventy flesh is necessary to satisfy the appetite. Persons not kept warm nor supplied with food are said to be starved and famished, but among the people of king Wan, there were no aged who were starved or famished. This is the meaning of the expression in question.'
[13.23]
孟子曰﹕「易其田疇薄其稅斂，民可使富也。食之以時，用之以禮，財不可勝用也。民非水火不生活，昏暮叩人之門戶，求水火，無弗與者□□至足矣。聖人治天下，使有菽粟如水火﹔菽粟如水火，而民焉有不仁者乎！」
1. Mencius said, 'Let it be seen to that their fields of grain and hemp are well cultivated, and make the taxes on them light;-- so the people may be made rich.
2. 'Let it be seen to that the people use their resources of food seasonably, and expend their wealth only on the prescribed ceremonies:-- so their wealth will be more than can be consumed.
3. 'The people cannot live without water and fire, yet if you knock at a man's door in the dusk of the evening, and ask for water and fire, there is no man who will not give them, such is the abundance of these things. A sage governs the kingdom so as to cause pulse and grain to be as abundant as water and fire. When pulse and grain are as abundant as water and fire, how shall the people be other than virtuous?'
[13.24]
孟子曰﹕「孔子登東山而小魯，登太山而小天下。故觀於海者難爲水，游於聖人之門者難爲言。觀水有朮，必觀其瀾﹔日月有明，容光必照焉。流水之爲物也，不盈科不行。君子之志於道也，不成章不達。」
1. Mencius said, 'Confucius ascended the eastern hill, and Lû appeared to him small. He ascended the T'âi mountain, and all beneath the heavens appeared to him small. So he who has contemplated the sea, finds it difficult to think anything of other waters, and he who has wandered in the gate of the sage, finds it difficult to think anything of the words of others.
2. 'There is an art in the contemplation of water.-- It is necessary to look at it as foaming in waves. The sun and moon being possessed of brilliancy, their light admitted even through an orifice illuminates.
3. 'Flowing water is a thing which does not proceed till it has filled the hollows in its course. The student who has set his mind on the doctrines of the sage, does not advance to them but by completing one lesson after another.'
[13.25]
孟子曰﹕「雞鳴而起，孳孳爲善者，舜之徒也。雞鳴而起，孳孳爲利者，□之徒也。欲知舜而□之分，無他，利與善之間也。」
1. Mencius said, 'He who rises at cock-crowing and addresses himself earnestly to the practice of virtue, is a disciple of Shun.
2. 'He who rises at cock-crowing, and addresses himself earnestly to the pursuit of giin, is a disciple of Chih.
3. 'If you want to know what separates Shun from Chih, it is simply this,-- the interval between the thought of gain and the thought of virtue.'
[13.26]
孟子曰﹕「楊子取』拔一毛而利天下，不爲也。墨子兼愛，摩頂放踵利天下，爲之。子莫執中，執中爲近之﹔執中無權，猶執一也。所惡執一者，爲其賊道也，擧一而廢百也。」
1. Mencius said, 'The principle of the philosopher Yang was-- "Each one for himself." Though he might have benefited the whole kingdom by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it.
2. 'The philosopher Mo loves all equally. If by rubbing smooth his whole body from the crown to the heel, he could have benefited the kingdom, he would have done it.
3. 'Tsze-mo holds a medium between these. By holding that medium, he is nearer the right. But by holding it without leaving room for the exigency of circumstances, it becomes like their holding their one point.
4. 'The reason why I hate that holding to one point is the injury it does to the way of right principle. It takes up one point and disregards a hundred others.'
[13.27]
孟子曰﹕「飢者甘食，渴者甘飮﹕是未得飮食之正也，飢渴害之也。豈惟口腹有飢渴之害，人心亦皆有害。人能無以飢渴之害爲心害，則不及人不爲憂矣。」
1. Mencius said, 'The hungry think any food sweet, and the thirsty think the same of any drink, and thus they do not get the right taste of what they eat and drink. The hunger and thirst, in fact, injure their palate. And is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them.
2. 'If a man can prevent the evils of hunger and thirst from being any evils to his mind, he need not have any sorrow about not being equal to other men.'
[13.28]
孟子曰﹕「柳下惠不以三公易其介。」
Mencius said, 'Hûi of Liû-Hsiâ would not for the three highest offices of State have changed his firm purpose of life.'
[13.29]
孟子曰﹕「有爲者辟若掘井，掘井九軔而不及泉，猶爲棄井也。」
Mencius said, 'A man with definite aims to be accomplished may be compared to one digging a well. To dig the well to a depth of seventy-two cubits, and stop without reaching the spring, is after all throwing away the well.'
[13.30]
孟子曰﹕「堯、舜，性之也﹔湯、武，身之也﹔五霸，假之也。久假而不歸，惡知其非有也！」
1. Mencius said, 'Benevolence and righteousness were natural to Yâo and Shun. T'ang and Wû made them their own. The five chiefs of the princes feigned them.
2. 'Having borrowed them long and not returned them, how could it be known they did not own them?'
[13.31]
公孫丑曰﹕「伊尹曰﹕狎于不順。』放太甲於桐，民大悅﹔太甲賢，又反之，民大悅。賢者之爲人臣也，其君不賢，則固可放與？」孟子曰﹕「有伊尹之志則可，無伊尹之志則篡也。」
1. Kung-sun Ch'âu said, 'Î Yin said, "I cannot be near and see him so disobedient to reason," and therewith he banished T'â-chiâ to T'ung. The people were much pleased. When T'â-chiâ became virtuous, he brought him back, and the people were again much pleased.
2. 'When worthies are ministers, may they indeed banish their sovereigns in this way when they are not virtuous?'
3. Mencius replied, 'If they have the same purpose as Î Yin, they may. If they have not the same purpose, it would be usurpation.'
[13.32]
公孫丑﹕「詩曰﹕餐兮。』君子之不耕而食，何也？」孟子曰﹕「君子居是國也，其君用之，則安富尊榮﹔其子弟從之，則孝弟忠信。不素餐兮，孰大於是！」
Kung-sun Ch'âu said, 'It is said, in the Book of Poetry,
"He will not eat the bread of idleness!"
How is it that we see superior men eating without labouring?' Mencius replied, 'When a superior man resides in a country, if its sovereign employ his counsels, he comes to tranquillity, wealth and glory. If the young in it follow his instructions, they become filial, obedient to their elders, true-hearted, and faithful. What greater example can there be than this of not eating the bread of idleness?'
[13.33]
王子墊問曰﹕「士何事？」孟子曰﹕「尚志。」曰﹕「何謂尚志？」曰﹕「仁義而已矣。殺一無罪，非仁也。非其有而取之，非義也。居惡在？仁是也。路惡在？義是也。居仁由義，大人之事備矣。」
1. The king's son, Tien, asked Mencius, saying, 'What is the business of the unemployed scholar?'
2. Mencius replied, 'To exalt his aim.'
3. Tien asked again, 'What do you mean by exalting the aim?' The answer was, 'Setting it simply on benevolence and righteousness. He thinks how to put a single innocent person to death is contrary to benevolence; how to take what one has not a right to is contrary to righteousness; that one's dwelling should be benevolence; and one's path should be righteousness. Where else should he dwell? What other path should he pursue? When benevolence is the dwelling-place of the heart, and righteousness the path of the life, the business of a great man is complete.'
[13.34]
孟子曰﹕「仲子不義與之齊國而弗受，人皆信之。是舍簞食豆羹之義也，人莫大焉亡親戚君臣上下。以其小者信其大者，奚可哉！」
Mencius said, 'Supposing that the kingdom of Ch'î were offered, contrary to righteousness, to Ch'an Chung, he would not receive it, and all people believe in him, as a man of the highest worth. But this is only the righteousness which declines a dish of rice or a plate of soup. A man can have no greater crimes than to disown his parents and relatives, and the relations of sovereign and minister, superiors and inferiors. How can it be allowed to give a man credit for the great excellences because he possesses a small one?'
[13.35]
桃應問曰﹕「舜爲天子，皋陶爲士﹔瞽瞍殺人，則如之何？」孟子曰﹕「執之而已矣！」然則舜不禁與？」曰﹕「夫舜惡得而禁之？夫有所受之也！」然則舜如之何？」曰﹕「舜視棄天下，猶棄敝□也。竊負而逃，遵海濱而處終身欣然樂而忘天下。」
1. T'âo Ying asked, saying, 'Shun being sovereign, and Kâo-yâo chief minister of justice, if Kû-sâu had murdered a man, what would have been done in the case?'
2. Mencius said, 'Kâo-yâo would simply have apprehended him.'
3. 'But would not Shun have forbidden such a thing?'
4. 'Indeed, how could Shun have forbidden it? Kâo-yâo had received the law from a proper source.'
5. 'In that case what would Shun have done?'
6. 'Shun would have regarded abandoning the kingdom as throwing away a worn-out sandal. He would privately have taken his father on his back, and retired into concealment, living some where along the sea-coast. There he would have been all his life, cheerful and happy, forgetting the kingdom.'
[13.36]
孟子自范之齊，望見齊之王之子，喟然嘆曰﹕「居移氣。養移體﹔大哉居乎！夫非盡人之子與？」孟子曰﹕「王子宮室車馬衣服多與人同，而王子若彼者，其居使之然也。況居天下之廣居者乎！魯君之宋，呼於垤澤之門﹔守者曰﹕吾君也，何其聲之似我君也？』此無他，居相似也。」
1. Mencius, going from Fan to Ch'î, saw the king of Ch'î's son at a distance, and said with a deep sigh, 'One's position alters the air, just as the nurture affects the body. Great is the influence of position! Are we not all men's sons in this respect?'
2. Mencius said, 'The residence, the carriages and horses, and the dress of the king's son, are mostly the same as those of other men. That he looks so is occasioned by his position. How much more should a peculiar air distinguish him whose position is in the wide house of the world!
3. 'When the prince of Lû went to Sung, he called out at the T'ieh-châi gate, and the keeper said, "This is not our prince. How is it that his voice is so like that of our prince?" This was occasioned by nothing but the correspondence of their positions.'
[13.37]
孟子曰﹕「食而弗愛，豕交之也﹔愛而不敬，獸畜之也。恭敬者，幣之未將者也。恭敬而無實，君子不可虛拘。」
1. Mencius said, 'To feed a scholar and not love him, is to treat him as a pig. To love him and not respect him, is to keep him as a domestic animal.
2. 'Honouring and respecting are what exist before any offering of gifts.
3. 'If there be honouring and respecting without the reality of them, a superior man may not be retained by such empty demonstrations.'
[13.38]
孟子曰﹕「形色，天性也。惟聖人然後可以踐形。」
Mencius said, 'The bodily organs with their functions belong to our Heaven-conferred nature. But a man must be a sage before he can satisfy the design of his bodily organization.'
[13.39]
齊宣王欲短喪。公孫丑曰﹕「爲朞之喪，猶愈於已乎？」孟子曰﹕「是猶或□其兄之臂，子謂之姑徐徐云爾□□亦教之孝弟而已矣。」王子有其母死者，其傳爲之請數月之喪。公孫丑曰﹕「若此者何如也？」曰﹕「是欲終之而不可得也。雖加一日愈於已，謂夫莫之禁而弗爲者也。」
1. The king Hsüan of Ch'î wanted to shorten the period of mourning. Kung-sun Ch'âu said, 'To have one whole year's mourning is better than doing away with it altogether.'
2. Mencius said, 'That is just as if there were one twisting the arm of his elder brother, and you were merely to say to him "Gently, gently, if you please." Your only course should be to teach such an one filial piety and fraternal duty.'
3. At that time, the mother of one of the king's sons had died, and his tutor asked for him that he might be allowed to observe a few months' mourning. Kung-sun Ch'âu asked, 'What do you say of this?'
4. Mencius replied, 'This is a case where the party wishes to complete the whole period, but finds it impossible to do so. The addition of even a single day is better than not mourning at all. I spoke of the case where there was no hindrance, and the party neglected the thing itself.'
[13.40]
孟子曰﹕「君子之所以教者五﹕有如時雨他之者，有成德者，有達財者，有答問者，有私淑艾者。此五者，君子之所以教也。」
1. Mencius said, 'There are five ways in which the superior man effects his teaching.
2. 'There are some on whom his influence descends like seasonable rain.
3. 'There are some whose virtue he perfects, and some of whose talents he assists the development.
4. 'There are some whose inquiries he answers.
5. 'There are some who privately cultivate and correct themselves.
6. These five ways are the methods in which the superior man effects his teaching.'
[13.41]
公孫丑曰﹕「道則高矣美矣，宜若登天然，似不可及也﹔何不使彼爲可几及，而日孳孳也？」孟子曰﹕「大匠不爲拙工改廢繩墨，羿不爲拙射變其彀率。君子引而不發，躍如也﹔中道而立，能者從之。」
1. Kung-sun Ch'âu said, 'Lofty are your principles and admirable, but to learn them may well be likened to ascending the heavens,-- something which cannot be reached. Why not adapt your teaching so as to cause learners to consider them attainable, and so daily exert themselves!'
2. Mencius said, 'A great artificer does not, for the sake of a stupid workman, alter or do away with the marking-line. Î did not, for the sake of a stupid archer, charge his rule for drawing the bow.
3. 'The superior man draws the bow, but does not discharge the arrow, having seemed to leap with it to the mark; and he there stands exactly in the middle of the path. Those who are able, follow him.'
[13.42]
孟子曰﹕「天下有道，以道殉身﹔天下無道，以身殉道。未聞以道殉乎人者也。」
1. Mencius said, 'When right principles prevail throughout the kingdom, one's principles must appear along with one's person. When right principles disappear from the kingdom, one's person must vanish along with one's principles.
2. 'I have not heard of one's principles being dependent for their manifestation on other men.'
[13.43]
公都子曰﹕「勝更之在門也，若在所禮而不答，何也？」孟子曰﹕「挾貴而問，挾賢而問，挾長而問，挾有勛勞而問，挾故而問﹕皆所不答也。勝更有二焉。」
1. The disciple Kung-tû said, 'When Kang of T'ang made his appearance in your school, it seemed proper that a polite consideration should be paid to him, and yet you did not answer him. Why was that?'
2. Mencius replied, 'I do not answer him who questions me presuming on his nobility, nor him who presumes on his talents, nor him who presumes on his age, nor him who presumes on services performed to me, nor him who presumes on old acquaintance. Two of those things were chargeable on Kang of T'ang.'
[13.44]
孟子曰﹕「於不可已而已者，無所不已。於所厚者薄，無所不薄也。其進銳者，其退速。」
1. Mencius said, 'He who stops short where stopping is acknowledged to be not allowable, will stop short in everything. He who behaves shabbily to those whom he ought to treat well, will behave shabbily to all.
2. 'He who advances with precipitation will retire with speed.'
[13.45]
孟子曰﹕「君子之於物也，愛之而弗仁﹔於民也，仁之而弗親﹔親親而仁民，仁民而愛物。」
Mencius said, 'In regard to inferior creatures, the superior man is kind to them, but not loving. In regard to people generally, he is loving to them, but not affectionate. He is affectionate to his parents, and lovingly disposed to people generally. He is lovingly disposed to people generally, and kind to creatures.'
[13.46]
孟子曰﹕「知者無不知也，當務之爲急，仁者無不憂也，急親賢之爲務。堯、舜之知而不遍物，急先務也﹔堯、舜之仁不遍愛人，急親賢也。不能三年之喪，而緦小功之察﹔放飯流□，而問無齒決﹕是之謂不知務。」孟
1. Mencius said, 'The wise embrace all knowledge, but they are most earnest about what is of the greatest importance. The benevolent embrace all in their love, but what they consider of the greatest importance is to cultivate an earnest affection for the virtuous. Even the wisdom of Yâo and Shun did not extend to everything, but they attended earnestly to what was important. Their benevolence did not show itself in acts of kindness to every man, but they earnestly cultivated an affection for the virtuous.
2. 'Not to be able to keep the three years' mourning, and to be very particular about that of three months, or that of five months; to eat immoderately and swill down the soup, and at the same time to inquire about the precept not to tear the meat with the teeth;-- such things show what I call an ignorance of what is most important.
孟子盡心下 Book VII, Part II: Tsin Sin
[14.1]
孟子曰﹕「不仁哉，梁惠王也！仁者以其所愛，及其所不愛﹔不仁者以其所不愛，及其所愛。」公孫丑曰﹕「何謂也？」「梁惠王以土地之故，糜爛其民而戰之﹔大敗，將複之﹕恐不能勝，故驅其所愛子弟以殉之。是之謂以其所不愛，及其所愛也。」
1. Mencius said, 'The opposite indeed of benevolent was the king Hûi of Liang! The benevolent, beginning with what they care for, proceed to what they do not care for. Those who are the opposite of benevolent, beginning with what they do not care for, proceed to what they care for.'
2. 'Kung-sun Ch'âu said, 'What do you mean?' Mencius answered, 'The king Hûi of Liang, for the matter of territory, tore and destroyed his people, leading them to battle. Sustaining a great defeat, he would engage again, and afraid lest they should not be able to secure the victory, urged his son whom he loved till he sacrificed him with them. This is what I call-- "beginning with what they do not care for, and proceeding to what they care for."'
[14.2]
孟子曰﹕「春秋無義戰﹔彼善於此，則有之矣。征者，上伐下也﹔敵國不相征也。」
1. Mencius said, 'In the "Spring and Autumn" there are no righteous wars. Instances indeed there are of one war better than another.
2. '"Correction" is when the supreme authority punishes its subjects by force of arms. Hostile States do not correct one another.'
[14.3]
孟子曰﹕「盡信書，則不如無書。吾於武成，取二三策而已矣。仁人無敵於天下﹔以至仁伐至不仁，而何其血之流杵也！」
1. Mencius said, 'It would be better to be without the Book of History than to give entire credit to it.
2. 'In the "Completion of the War," I select two or three passages only, which I believe.
3. '"The benevolent man has no enemy under heaven. When the prince the most benevolent was engaged against him who was the most the opposite, how could the blood of the people have flowed till it floated the pestles of the mortars?"'
[14.4]
孟子曰﹕「有人曰﹕爲陳，我善爲戰。』大罪也。國君好仁，天下無敵焉。南面以征，北狄怨﹔東面而征，西夷怨﹔曰﹕後我！』武王之伐殷也，革車三百兩，虎賁三千人。王曰﹕，寧爾也，非敵百姓也。』若崩厥角稽首。征之爲言正也，各欲正已也，焉用戰！」
1. Mencius said, 'There are men who say-- "I am skilful at marshalling troops, I am skilful at conducting a battle!"-- They are great criminals.
2. 'If the ruler of a State love benevolence, he will have no enemy in the kingdom.
3. When T'ang was executing his work of correction in the south, the rude tribes on the north murmured. When he was executing it in the east, the rude tribes on the west murmured. Their cry was-- "Why does he make us last?"
4. 'When king Wû punished Yin, he had only three hundred chariots of war, and three thousand life-guards.
5. 'The king said, "Do not fear. Let me give you repose. I am no enemy to the people!" On this, they bowed their heads to the earth, like the horns of animals falling off.
6. '"Royal correction" is but another word for rectifying. Each State wishing itself to be corrected, what need is there for fighting?'
[14.5]
孟子曰﹕「梓匠輪輿，能與人規矩，不能使人巧。」
Mencius said, 'A carpenter or a carriage-maker may give a man the circle and square, but cannot make him skilful in the use of them.'
[14.6]
孟子曰﹕「舜之飯糗茹草也，若將終身焉。及其爲天子也，被□衣，鼓琴，二女果，若固有之。」
Mencius said, 'Shun's manner of eating his parched grain and herbs was as if he were to be doing so all his life. When he became sovereign, and had the embroidered robes to wear, the lute to play, and the two daughters of Yâo to wait on him, he was as if those things belonged to him as a matter of course.'
[14.7]
孟子曰﹕「吾今而後知殺人親之重也﹕殺人之父，人亦殺其父﹔殺人之兄，人亦殺其兄﹕然則非自殺之也，一間耳！」
Mencius said, 'From this time forth I know the heavy consequences of killing a man's near relations. When a man kills another's father, that other will kill his father; when a man kills another's elder brother, that other will kill his elder brother. So he does not himself indeed do the act, but there is only an interval between him and it.'
[14.8]
孟子曰﹕「古之爲關也，將以御暴。今之爲關也，將以爲暴。」
1. Mencius said, 'Anciently, the establishment of the frontier-gates was to guard against violence.
2. 'Nowadays, it is to exercise violence.'
[14.9]
孟子曰﹕「身不行道，不行於妻子﹔使人不以道，不能行於妻子。」
Mencius said, 'If a man himself do not walk in the right path, it will not be walked in even by his wife and children. If he order men according to what is not the right way, he will not be able to get the obedience of even his wife and children.'
[14.10]
孟子曰﹕「周于利者，凶年不能殺﹔周于德者，邪世不能亂。」
Mencius said, 'A bad year cannot prove the cause of death to him whose stores of gain are large; an age of corruption cannot confound him whose equipment of virtue is complete.'
[14.11]
孟子曰﹕「好名之人，能讓千乘之國﹔苟非其人，簞食豆羹見於色。」
Mencius said, 'A man who loves fame may be able to decline a State of a thousand chariots; but if he be not really the man to do such a thing, it will appear in his countenance, in the matter of a dish of rice or a platter of soup.'
[14.12]
孟子曰﹕「不信仁賢，則國空虛。無禮義，則上下亂。無政事，則財用不足。」
1. Mencius said, 'If men of virtue and ability be not confided in, a State will become empty and void.
2. 'Without the rules of propriety and distinctions of right, the high and the low will be thrown into confusion.
3. 'Without the great principles of government and their various business, there will not be wealth sufficient for the expenditure.'
[14.13]
孟子曰﹕「不仁而得國者，有之矣﹔不仁而得天下，未之有也。」
Mencius said, 'There are instances of individuals without benevolence, who have got possession of a single State, but there has been no instance of the throne's being got by one without benevolence.'
[14.14]
孟子曰﹕「民爲貴，社稷次之，君爲輕。是故，得乎丘民而爲天子，得乎天子爲諸侯，得乎諸侯爲大夫。諸侯危社稷，則變置。犧牲旣成，粢盛旣潔，祭祀以時﹔然而旱乾水溢，則變置社稷。」
1. Mencius said, 'The people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain are the next; the sovereign is the lightest.
2. 'Therefore to gain the peasantry is the way to become sovereign; to gain the sovereign is the way to become a prince of a State; to gain the prince of a State is the way to become a great officer.
3. 'When a prince endangers the altars of the spirits of the land and grain, he is changed, and another appointed in his place.
4. 'When the sacrificial victims have been perfect, the millet in its vessels all pure, and the sacrifices offered at their proper seasons, if yet there ensue drought, or the waters overflow, the spirits of the land and grain are changed, and others appointed in their place.'
[14.15]
孟子曰﹕「聖人，百世之師也﹔伯夷、柳下惠是也。故聞伯夷之風者，頑夫廉，懦夫有立志﹔聞柳下惠之風者，薄夫敦，鄙夫寬。奮乎百世之上﹔百世之下，聞者莫不興起也。非聖人而能若是乎？而況於親炙之者乎！」
Mencius said, 'A sage is the teacher of a hundred generations:-- this is true of Po-î and Hûi of Liû-Hsiâ. Therefore when men now bear the character of Po-î, the corrupt become pure, and the weak acquire determination. When they hear the character of Hûi of Liû-Hsiâ, the mean become generous, and the niggardly become liberal. Those two made themselves distinguished a hundred generations ago, and after a hundred generations, those who hear of them, are all aroused in this manner. Could such effects be produced by them, if they had not been sages? And how much more did they affect those who were in contiguity with them, and felt their inspiring influence!'
[14.16]
孟子曰﹕「仁也者，人也。合而言之，道也。」
Mencius said, 'Benevolence is the distinguishing characteristic of man. As embodied in man's conduct, it is called the path of duty.'
[14.17]
孟子曰﹕「孔子之去魯，曰﹕吾行也。』去父母國之道也。去齊，接淅而行。去他國之道也。」
Mencius said, 'When Confucius was leaving Lû, he said, "I will set out by-and-by;"-- this was the way in which to leave the State of his parents. When he was leaving Ch'î, he strained off with his hand the water in which his rice was being rinsed, took the rice, and went away;-- this was the way in which to leave a strange State.'
[14.18]
孟子曰﹕「君子之戹於陳、蔡之間，無上下之交也。」
Mencius said, 'The reason why the superior man was reduced to straits between Ch'an and Ts'âi was because neither the princes of the time nor their ministers sympathized or communicated with him.'
[14.19]
貉稽曰﹕「稽大不理於口。」孟子曰﹕「無傷也。士憎茲多口。詩云﹕悄悄，愠於群小，』孔子也。殄厥愠，亦不隕厥問。』文王也。」
1. Mo Ch'î said, 'Greatly am I from anything to depend upon from the mouths of men.'
2. Mencius observed, 'There is no harm in that. Scholars are more exposed than others to suffer from the mouths of men.
3. 'It is said, in the Book of Poetry,
"My heart is disquieted and grieved,
I am hated by the crowd of mean creatures."
This might have been said by Confucius. And again,
"Though he did not remove their wrath,
He did not let fall his own fame."
This might be said of king Wan.'
[14.20]
孟子曰﹕「賢者以其昭昭，使人昭昭。今以其昬昬，使人昭昭。」
Mencius said, 'Anciently, men of virtue and talents by means of their own enlightenment made others enlightened. Nowadays, it is tried, while they are themselves in darkness, and by means of that darkness, to make others enlightened.'
[14.21]
孟子謂高子曰﹕「山徑之蹊間﹔介然用之而成路﹔爲間不用，則茅塞之矣。今茅塞子之心矣。」
Mencius said to the disciple Kâo, 'There are the footpaths along the hills;-- if suddenly they be used, they become roads; and if, as suddenly they are not used, the wild grass fills them up. Now, the wild grass fills up your mind.'
[14.22]
高子曰﹕「禹之聲，尚文王之聲。」孟子曰﹕「何以言之？」曰﹕「以追蠡。」曰﹕「是奚足哉！城門之軌，兩馬之力與？」
1. The disciple Kâo said, 'The music of Yü was better than that of king Wan.'
2. Mencius observed, 'On what ground do you say so?' and the other replied, 'Because at the pivot the knob of Yü's bells is nearly worn through.'
3. Mencius said, 'How can that be a sufficient proof? Are the ruts at the gate of a city made by a single two-horsed chariot?'
[14.23]
齊餓。陳臻曰﹕「國人皆以夫子將複爲發堂□□殆不可複？」孟子曰﹕「是爲馮婦也。晉人有馮婦者，善搏虎﹔卒爲善士。則之野，有衆逐虎﹔虎負□，莫之敢攖。望見馮婦，趨而迎之，馮婦攘臂下車，衆皆悅之。其爲士者笑之。」
1. When Ch'î was suffering from famine, Ch'an Tsin said to Mencius, 'The people are all thinking that you, Master, will again ask that the granary of T'ang be opened for them. I apprehend you will not do so a second time.'
2. Mencius said, 'To do it would be to act like Fang Fû. There was a man of that name in Tsin, famous for his skill in seizing tigers. Afterwards he became a scholar of reputation, and going once out to the wild country, he found the people all in pursuit of a tiger. The tiger took refuge in a corner of a hill, where no one dared to attack him, but when they saw Fang Fû, they ran and met him. Fang Fû immediately bared his arms, and descended from the carriage. The multitude were pleased with him, but those who were scholars laughed at him.'
[14.24]
孟子曰﹕「口之於味也，目之於色也，耳之於聲也，鼻之於臭也，四肢之於安佚也﹕性也，有命焉，君子不謂性也。仁之於父子也，義之於君臣也，禮之於賓主也，智之於賢者也，聖人之於天道也﹕命也，有性焉，君子不謂命也。」
1. Mencius said, 'For the mouth to desire sweet tastes, the eye to desire beautiful colours, the ear to desire pleasant sounds, the nose to desire fragrant odours, and the four limbs to desire ease and rest;-- these things are natural. But there is the appointment of Heaven in connexion with them, and the superior man does not say of his pursuit of them, "It is my nature."
2. 'The exercise of love between father and son, the observance of righteousness between sovereign and minister, the rules of ceremony between guest and host, the display of knowledge in recognising the talented, and the fulfilling the heavenly course by the sage;-- these are the appointment of Heaven. But there is an adaptation of our nature for them. The superior man does not say, in reference to them, "It is the appointment of Heaven."'
[14.25]
浩生不害問曰﹕「樂正子，何人也？」孟子曰﹕「善人也，信人也。」何謂善？何謂信？」曰﹕「可欲之謂善。有諸己之謂信。充實之爲美。充實而光輝之謂大。大而化之之謂聖。聖而不可知之之謂神。樂正子，二之中，四之下也。」
1. Hâo-shang Pû-hâi asked, saying, 'What sort of man is Yo-chang?' Mencius replied, 'He is a good man, a real man.'
2. 'What do you mean by "A good man," "A real man?"'
3. The reply was, 'A man who commands our liking is what is called a good man.
4. 'He whose goodness is part of himself is what is called real man.
5. 'He whose goodness has been filled up is what is called beautiful man.
6. He whose completed goodness is brightly displayed is what is called a great man.
7. 'When this great man exercises a transforming influence, he is what is called a sage.
8. 'When the sage is beyond our knowledge, he is what is called a spirit-man.
9. 'Yo-chang is between the two first characters, and below the four last.'
[14.26]
孟子曰﹕「逃墨必歸於楊，逃楊必歸於儒。歸，斯受之而已矣。今之與楊、墨辯者，如追放豚，旣入其□，又從而招之。」
1. Mencius said, 'Those who are fleeing from the errors of Mo naturally turn to Yang, and those who are fleeing from the errors of Yang naturally turn to orthodoxy. When they so turn, they should at once and simply be received.
2. 'Those who nowadays dispute with the followers of Yang and Mo do so as if they were pursuing a stray pig, the leg of which, after they have got it to enter the pen, they proceed to tie.'
[14.27]
孟子曰﹕「有布縷之征，粟米之征，力役之征。君子用其一，緩其二﹔用其二而民又殍，用其三而父子離。」
Mencius said, 'There are the exactions of hempen-cloth and silk, of grain, and of personal service. The prince requires but one of these at once, deferring the other two. If he require two of them at once, then the people die of hunger. If he require the three at once, then fathers and sons are separated.'
[14.28]
孟子曰﹕「諸侯之寶三﹕土地、人民、政事。寶珠玉者，殃必及身。」
Mencius said, 'The precious things of a prince are three;-- the territory, the people, the government and its business. If one value as most precious pearls and jade, calamity is sure to befall him.'
[14.29]
貧成括任於齊。孟子曰﹕「死矣貧成括！」貧成括見殺。門人問曰﹕「夫子何以知其將見殺？」曰﹕「其爲人也小有才，未聞君子之大道也，則足以殺其軀而已矣。」
Pan-ch'ang Kwo having obtained an official situation in Ch'î, Mencius said, 'He is a dead man, that Pan-ch'ang Kwo!' Pan-chang Kwo being put to death, the disciples asked, saying, 'How did you know, Master, that he would meet with death?' Mencius replied, 'He was a man, who had a little ability, but had not learned the great doctrines of the superior man. He was just qualified to bring death upon himself, but for nothing more.'
[14.30]
孟子之滕，館於上宮。有業屨於牖上，館人求之弗得。或問之曰﹕「若是乎從者之廀也！」曰﹕「子以是爲竊屨來與？」曰﹕「殆非也。夫子之設科也，往者不追，來者不拒﹔苟以是心至，斯受之而已矣。」
1. When Mencius went to T'ang, he was lodged in the Upper palace. A sandal in the process of making had been placed there in a window, and when the keeper of the place came to look for it, he could not find it.
2. On this, some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it thus that your followers pilfer?' Mencius replied, 'Do you think that they came here to pilfer the sandal?' The man said, 'I apprehend not. But you, Master, having arranged to give lessons, do not go back to inquire into the past, and you do not reject those who come to you. If they come with the mind to learn, you receive them without any more ado.'
[14.31]
孟子曰﹕「人皆有所不忍，達之於其所忍，仁也﹔人皆有所不爲，達之於其所爲，義也。人能充無欲害人之心，而仁不可勝用 也﹔人能充無穿窬之心，而義不可勝用也。人能充無受爾汝之實，無所往而不爲義也。士未可以言而言，是以言□之也﹔可以言而不言，是以不言□之也﹕是皆穿窬 之類也。」
1. Mencius said, 'All men have some things which they cannot bear;-- extend that feeling to what they can bear, and benevolence will be the result. All men have some things which they will not do;-- extend that feeling to the things which they do, and righteousness will be the result.
2. 'If a man can give full development to the feeling which makes him shrink from injuring others, his benevolence will be more than can be called into practice. If he can give full development to the feeling which refuses to break through, or jump over, a wall, his righteousness will be more than can be called into practice.
3. 'If he can give full development to the real feeling of dislike with which he receives the salutation, "Thou," "Thou," he will act righteously in all places and circumstances.
4. 'When a scholar speaks what he ought not to speak, by guile of speech seeking to gain some end; and when he does not speak what he ought to speak, by guile of silence seeking to gain some end;-- both these cases are of a piece with breaking through a neighbour's wall.'
[14.32]
孟子曰﹕「言近而指遠者，善言也。守約而施博者，善道也。君子之言也，不下帶而道存焉。君子之守，修其身而天下平。人病舍其田而芸人之田﹔所求於人者重，而所以自任者輕。」
1. Mencius said, 'Words which are simple, while their meaning is far-reaching, are good words. Principles which, as held, are compendious, while their application is extensive, are good principles. The words of the superior man do not go below the girdle, but great principles are contained in them.
2. 'The principle which the superior man holds is that of personal cultivation, but the kingdom is thereby tranquillized.
3. 'The disease of men is this:-- that they neglect their own fields, and go to weed the fields of others, and that what they require from others is great, while what they lay upon themselves is light.'
[14.33]
孟子曰﹕「堯、舜，性者也﹔湯、武，反之也。動容周旋中禮者，盛德之至也。哭死而哀，非爲生者也，經德不回，非以干祿也。言語必信，非以正行也。君子行法以俟命而已矣。」
1. Mencius said, 'Yâo and Shun were what they were by nature; T'ang and Wû were so by returning to natural virtue.
2. 'When all the movements, in the countenance and every turn of the body, are exactly what is proper, that shows the extreme degree of the complete virtue. Weeping for the dead should be from real sorrow, and not because of the living. The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument. The words should all be necessarily sincere, not with any desire to do what is right.
3. 'The superior man performs the law of right, and thereby waits simply for what has been appointed.'
[14.34]
孟子曰﹕「說大人則藐之，勿視其巍巍然。堂高數仞，榱題數尺﹕我得志黻爲也。食前方丈，侍妾數百人﹕我得志弗爲也。殷樂飮酒，驅騁田獵，後車千乘﹕我得志弗爲也。在彼者，皆我所不爲也﹔在我者，皆古之制也。吾何畏彼哉！」
1. Mencius said, 'Those who give counsel to the great should despise them, and not look at their pomp and display.
2. 'Halls several times eight cubits high, with beams projecting several cubits;-- these, if my wishes were to be realized, I would not have. Food spread before me over ten cubits square, and attendants and concubines to the amount of hundreds;-- these, though my wishes were realized, I would not have. Pleasure and wine, and the dash of hunting, with thousands of chariots following after me;-- these, though my wishes were realized, I would not have. What they esteem are what I would have nothing to do with; what I esteem are the rules of the ancients.-- Why should I stand in awe of them?'
[14.35]
孟子曰﹕「養心莫善於寡欲﹔其爲人也寡欲，雖有不存焉者寡矣﹔其爲人也多欲，雖有存焉者寡矣。」
Mencius said, 'To nourish the mind there is nothing better than to make the desires few. Here is a man whose desires are few:-- in some things he may not be able to keep his heart, but they will be few. Here is a man whose desires are many:-- in some things he may be able to keep his heart, but they will be few.'
[14.36]
曾晳嗜羊棗，而曾子不忍食棗。公孫丑問曰﹕「膾炙與羊棗孰美？」孟子曰﹕「膾炙哉！」公孫丑曰﹕「然則曾子何爲食膾炙而不食羊棗？」曰﹕「膾炙所同也，羊棗所獨也﹔諱名不諱姓，姓所同也，名所獨也。」
1. Mencius said, 'Tsang Hsî was fond of sheep-dates, and his son, the philosopher Tsang, could not bear to eat sheep-dates.'
2. Kung-sun Ch'âu asked, saying, 'Which is best,-- minced meat and broiled meat, or sheep-dates?' Mencius said, 'Mince and broiled meat, to be sure.' Kung-sun Ch'âu went on, 'Then why did the philosopher Tsang eat mince and broiled meat, and would not eat sheep-dates?' Mencius answered, 'For mince and broiled meat there is a common liking, while that for sheep-dates was peculiar. We avoid the name, but do not avoid the surname. The surname is common; the name is peculiar.'
[14.37]
萬章問曰﹕「孔子在陳曰﹕乎來！吾黨之士狂簡﹔進取，不忘其初。』孔子在陳，何思魯之狂士？」
孟子曰﹕「孔子不得中道而與之，必也狂□乎！狂者進取，□者有所不爲也。孔子豈不欲中道哉！不可必得，故思其次也。」
「敢問何如斯可謂狂矣？」
曰﹕「如琴張、曾晳、牧皮者。孔子之所謂狂矣。」「何以謂之狂也？」
曰﹕「其志□□然，曰﹕人，古之人！』夷考其行而不掩焉者也。狂者又不可得，欲得不屑不潔之士而與之﹔是□也，是又其次也。」孔子曰﹕門而不入我室，我不憾焉者，其惟鄉原乎？鄉原，德之賊也。』」
曰﹕「何如斯可謂鄉原矣？」
曰﹕「是□□也！言不顧行，行不顧言﹔則曰﹕「古之人，古之人！」行何爲踽踽涼涼！生斯世也，爲斯世也，善斯可矣。』閹然媚於世也者，是鄉原也。」』
萬章曰﹕「一鄉皆稱原人焉，無所往而不爲原人。孔子以爲德之賊，何哉？」』
曰﹕「非之無擧也，刺之無刺也﹔同乎流俗，合乎污世﹔居之似忠信，行之似廉潔﹔衆皆悅之，自以爲是□□而不可與入堯、 舜之道，故曰德之賊也。』「孔子曰﹕而非者﹕惡莠恐其亂苗也，惡佞恐其亂義也，惡利口恐其亂信也，惡鄭聲恐其亂樂也，惡紫恐其亂朱也，惡鄉原恐其亂德 也。』』君子反經而已矣﹔經正，則庶民興﹔庶民興，斯無邪慝矣。」
1. Wan Chang asked, saying, 'Confucius, when he was in Ch'an, said: "Let me return. The scholars of my school are ambitious, but hasty. They are for advancing and seizing their object, but cannot forget their early ways." Why did Confucius, when he was in Ch'an, think of the ambitious scholars of Lû?'
2. Mencius replied, 'Confucius not getting men pursuing the true medium, to whom he might communicate his instructions, determined to take the ardent and the cautiously-decided. The ardent would advance to seize their object; the cautiously-decided would keep themselves from certain things. It is not to be thought that Confucius did not wish to get men pursuing the true medium, but being unable to assure himself of finding such, he therefore thought of the next class.'
3. 'I venture to ask what sort of men they were who could be styled "The ambitious?"'
4. 'Such,' replied Mencius, 'as Ch'in Chang, Tsang Hsî, and Mû P'ei, were those whom Confucius styled "ambitious."'
5. 'Why were they styled "ambitious?"'
6. The reply was, 'Their aim led them to talk magniloquently, saying, "The ancients!" "The ancients!" But their actions, where we fairly compare them with their words, did not correspond with them.
7. 'When he found also that he could not get such as were thus ambitious, he wanted to get scholars who would consider anything impure as beneath them. Those were the cautiously-decided, a class next to the former.'
8. Chang pursued his questioning, 'Confucius said, "They are only your good careful people of the villages at whom I feel no indignation, when they pass my door without entering my house. Your good careful people of the villages are the thieves of virtue." What sort of people were they who could be styled "Your good careful people of the villages?"'
9. Mencius replied, 'They are those who say, "Why are they so magniloquent? Their words have not respect to their actions and their actions have not respect to their words, but they say, "The ancients! The ancients! Why do they act so peculiarly, and are so cold and distant? Born in this age, we should be of this age, to be good is all that is needed." Eunuch-like, flattering their generation;-- such are your good careful men of the villages.'
10. Wan Chang said, 'Their whole village styles those men good and careful. In all their conduct they are so. How was it that Confucius considered them the thieves of virtue?'
11. Mencius replied, 'If you would blame them, you find nothing to allege. If you would criticise them, you have nothing to criticise. They agree with the current customs. They consent with an impure age. Their principles have a semblance of right-heartedness and truth. Their conduct has a semblance of disinterestedness and purity. All men are pleased with them, and they think themselves right, so that it is impossible to proceed with them to the principles of Yâo and Shun. On this account they are called "The thieves of virtue."
12. 'Confucius said, "I hate a semblance which is not the reality. I hate the darnel, lest it be confounded with the corn. I hate glib-tonguedness, lest it be confounded with righteousness. I hate sharpness of tongue, lest it be confounded with sincerity. I hate the music of Chang, lest it be confounded with the true music. I hate the reddish blue, lest it be confounded with vermilion. I hate your good careful men of the villages, lest they be confounded with the truly virtuous."
13. 'The superior man seeks simply to bring back the unchanging standard, and, that being correct, the masses are roused to virtue. When they are so aroused, forthwith perversities and glossed wickedness disappear.'
[14.38]
孟子曰﹕「由堯、舜至於湯，五百有餘歲﹕若禹、臯陶，則見而知之，若湯，則聞而知之。由湯至於文王，五百有餘歲﹔若伊 尹、萊朱，則見而知之，若文王，則聞而知之。由文王至於孔子，五百有餘歲﹔若太公望、散宜生，則見而知之，若孔子，則聞而知之。由孔子而來至於今，百有餘 歲﹔去聖人之世，若此其未遠也！ 近聖人之居，若此其甚也！然而無有乎爾！則亦無有乎爾！」
1. Mencius said, 'From Yâo and Shun down to T'ang were 500 years and more. As to Yu and Kâo Yâo, they saw those earliest sages, and so knew their doctrines, while T'ang heard their doctrines as transmitted, and so knew them.
2. 'From T'ang to king Wan were 500 years and more. As to Î Yin, and Lâi Chû, they saw T'ang and knew his doctrines, while king Wan heard them as transmitted, and so knew them.
3. 'From king Wan to Confucius were 500 years and more. As to T'âi-kung Wang and San Î-shang, they saw Wan, and so knew his doctrines, while Confucius heard them as transmitted, and so knew them.
4. 'From Confucius downwards until now, there are only 100 years and somewhat more. The distance in time from the sage is so far from being remote, and so very near at hand was the sage's residence. In these circumstances, is there no one to transmit his doctrines? Yea, is there no one to do so?'